What It Means
by HorrificallyDreadful
Summary: After a brush with near-death, Tatsumaki realizes she cannot be the pillar of hope the people need. For the first time in a long time, she is afraid. The only one who can save her from that fear doesn't understand the concept of responsibility. There's more to hero work than a good fight and more to bravery than strength alone. The world needs a true hero, but what does that mean?
1. The Sea King

**AN: Okay, well I honestly expected this chapter to be absolute garbage. I mean, I was even expecting a few flame reviews, but everyone seems to enjoy it thus far, so I'm gonna go ahead and make it official! This is no longer a test chapter. This is the first chapter!... It's a bit longer than I would have liked it, but whatever. I guess this is the word count for each chapter. I want to thank everyone who reviewed, they were well appreciated and gave me the confidence to go ahead and start posting this.**

 **Now, I am currently in college which means I will not have much time to write, so I wouldn't expect weekly posts, but for this one with it being fresh on my mind, I CAN guarantee at least a chapter every month. There are stents when I just come down with writers fever and work like a madman though, so there could be bursts of four or five chapters in a month, who knows!? Buuut, its not very likely right now.**

 ** **Again! Thank you to everyone who reviewed when this was a test chapter, I appreciate your help dearly!****

 ** **DISCLAIMER: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters. All rights go to their respective owners.****

* * *

 **What it means  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 1:  
** **The Sea King**

* * *

Absolute devastation. That was the state of city J. Bodies of heroes having fought their hardest scattered around the devastation. This was the hellish sight the civilians looked upon in dread from within the destroyed bunker designed to keep them safe from monsters such as the one outside, facing off against a child-like woman. The monster very truly lived up to its name with green skin and a rather humanoid body. The only pieces of clothing on its form were a crown and a speedo for whatever reason. It was absolutely monstrous in the face and very bulky with muscle. Despite all of this, it's most attention grabbing feature was the heart shaped coloring that took the place of its nipples.

The woman was very short, easily mistakable for a child even. Her hair as green as fresh grass and eyes to match. Her attire consisted of a form-fitting black dress with long sleeves and four slits that traveled up to her hips, exposing her legs. She had a faint green hue surrounding her body as she floated at the monster's eye level, completely exhausted and bleeding from her hair line. Her position in the air swayed and dipped, speaking volumes for how worn-out she was.

"Heh, you're a tenacious little monkey, aren't you?" the monster spoke in a patronizing manner, completely unaffected by the seemingly lengthy battle they've been fighting. He didn't seem as if he'd fought at all. "You esper's are quite a nuisance, but when you've reached the limit of your psychic prowess, you're just about useless it seems. I am likely a monster that is the bane to your existence as my scales secrete a high-pitched frequency that rattles even the strongest of minds. I didn't think I would have to use such a tactic, but you were a formidable opponent for quite a while. Now that your brain has been overwhelmed with pain, you can no longer continue to fight."

The girl slowly lowered, that green hue around her flickering in and out like a fading light. Eventually, the tips of her toes met the wet cement below and she fell to her knees, still determined to do what she could. "sh-.. Shut up…" she muttered out through bated breaths as she stuck her hand out. 'I c-can still-..' she tried her hardest to mentally lift a sizeable piece of rubble near her in an attempt to use it as a weapon of sorts. It shook ever so slightly, but it did not budge.

"Try as you might, you have been defeated child." The monster said, getting closer and closer to the downed girl.

His words, although brutal, were the truth and she knew it. She could not defeat this beast, no matter how hard she tried. All these years of hero work would be coming to an end for all of them. Every S-class hero was taken down by this monster from Puri-Puri prisoner to herself. Only three had not shown to stand against it and those three would be their last hope. 'k-.. King… Metal Knight…' she mentally muttered, reduced to a begging mess for the first time in a long time. '… Blast… if there was ever a time we needed you… it's now.'

* * *

(On the television)

'As of now, City J is all but demolished and… oh… oh dear god, it seems even the Tornado of Terror has fallen to the power of the beast within. That is now thirteen of the S-Rank heroes having failed to stop the monster. The failure of these valiant heroes has prompted the situation be raised to threat level DRAGON for safety reasons. As it stands, we now rest this matter in the hands of the remaining three: King, Metal Knight, and Blast. The Association is asking that we all remain calm and put faith in the standing three. Even though the situation is taking place in City-J, it is advised that everyone find their way to a shelter as soon as possible, no matter the distance. This is exactly a situation in which we are expecting to see Blast make an appeara-..'

At a local gas-station within City-Y, an elderly woman stared in horror at the screen above on the wall behind the cashier who was now bagging her items. "Oh-.. dear…" she muttered quietly, catching the young man's attention.

"Hm?" The man was of fair height, standing at about 5'10 with a rather basic build that could be quite deceiving as his work uniform was rather baggy. He had a very plain face, easily forgettable in a crowd of people, but his most striking feature being his unnaturally bald head. Not a single strand of hair sat atop his dome and it almost seemed to reflect the light above him. He followed her gaze up towards the television and figured he understood her worry. "Oh, you must want to view the weather channel."

The woman looked at him incredulously. "w-What? Did you not here what she said!?" She asked, pointing at the screen with a trembling hand.

He dug a finger in his ear with a rather uninterested look on his face. "Eh, not really. I don't really like the news. It's all boring nowadays. Would you like a bag?"

"h-Hoh!" She couldn't seem to contain her worry as she turned and left the store as fast as she could scurry away, leaving the young man confused as she simply left her items after already paying for them.

"h-Hey!" He called after her, watching as she scrambled away from the store. Watching her through the glass windows of the shop brought the street into view and he was shocked to see so many people scrambling into the shelter across the street. Were they being attacked?

He turned back to look at the television and saw a helicopter view of some kind of monster standing outside of a different bunker. The caption of the report is what caught his attention. 'DRAGON LEVEL THREAT: Find shelter'.

"Oh, it's a Dragon level." He muttered. 'This means I am legally able to close up shop early and receive pay for the full day.' He thought to himself with a rather bland smile. So, that's exactly what he did. He went through the daily shut down procedure of checking over the produce and ensuring everything was in order for the morning crew. While he did this, he reached into his pocket and turned his phone on. As he was headed to turn off the television he stopped and took one last glance at the screen. It was still showing the very far helicopter view of the same monster now being confronted by a hero on a bicycle strangely enough. With an unimpressed look, the man gazed over to the clock next to the television.

Just as he did, his phone cut on completely and began to fire off rapid notifications from a single number. "o-Oh.." he exclaimed rather plainly as he watched it continue to beep. On the screen there were a ton of missed calls and unread messages. When it finally stopped, he opened it up to see it was all from none other than his cybernetically enhanced student, Genos. 'Was he fighting this monster as well?'

'We are receiving even more disturbing news from our inside source within the bunker of City-J that is truly distressing in a time like this.'

Saitama glanced back towards the television to hear the rest from the news woman.

'It would seem that the S-Class: rank-7 member, King, widely known 'strongest man in the world' was actually just a normal man with no special ability or strength whatsoever. He coward in the face of this Sea-King and confessed before the other downed S-Class heroes. There is still hope however as S-Class: rank-6 member, Metal Knight, has just arrived and is engaging the beast with an onslaught of powerful robots. His abilities at the moment are sorely restricted due to their close proximity to the downed heroes and civilians. He is the last line of defense unless we truly do witness a return of S-Class rank-1 member Blast. If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster, we can only hope Blast can.'

* * *

"If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster, it's all over." A man sitting behind a desk said. He was an average looking guy with a rather huge nose resting on his face, dressed in an all-black professional business suit. The man he was speaking with was a younger looking man with a robotic right eye, some sort of metallic line beneath it and wearing a suit of his own.

This enemy of theirs was far more dangerous than they were at first anticipating. "Maybe it is time to contact Blast." The younger man suggested.

The older man chuckled. "Tch-heh! We would've done so already if it were that easy." He spit out mockingly as he grabbed his head in frustration.

The younger man didn't seem to understand that. "I do not understand. Why is it not that easy?"

The man sighed as he reached down into the drawer on the left side of his desk, pulling out a bottle of very clear alcohol. "Sekingar… It is widely known that Blast suddenly went missing a few years back… there are a lot of theories about where he's gone and what he's doing, but…" he poured two shot glasses full, sliding one over to him. "The truth is, he is dead."

"Eh! s-Sitch!" the younger man exclaimed, completely surprised by this revelation. It did explain quite a bit though.

"We kept the story of Blast alive, leaving that S-Class: rank-1 position vacant as to give people a sliver of hope that no matter what monster appears there will always be someone strong enough to stop it… Now, the time has come, and a monster has appeared far more powerful than even Tornado can handle… So, I say it again. If Metal Knight cannot stop this monster, it's all over."

Sekingar stared over to the television screen on the wall to his left, Sitch's right, and they watched the robotic creation bombard the creature with shots of all kind, trying to get it away from the bunker. With a worrying sigh, he reached down and picked up the glass he was passed, drinking the liquor down in one gulp.

* * *

Machinegun rounds left the robotic arms of Metal knight at a rapid pace as he barraged the creature consecutively to no avail. The bullets simply bounced off its form, but for the moment, it was all he could do as he put his mechanical body between the monster and the bunker, quite literally working as the last line of defense for those inside. The machine gun blows, although ineffective, did good to irritate the beast who had his hands full thrashing the onslaught of other battle bots that were getting in close, attempting to land direct physical hits. Hundred upon hundred of these mechanical beings came charging the Sea-King's way and he had no choice but to stand his ground and focus on them.

With him busy, Metal knight scoped out the surrounding area. Outside of the bunker, there are nine unconscious heroes. Of that nine, 7 were S-Classed heroes including: The Tornado of Terror, Atomic Samurai, Flashy Flash, Watchdog man, Demon Cyborg, Silver Fang, and Tank-top hero. The other two were the C-Classed Mumen Rider and the respected martial artist Bomb. Then there was the spineless fool King, cowering somewhere in the city, having fled as soon as they dropped him from the aircraft.

If he wanted to defeat this thing, he needed to do it as violently as possible, but he could not be responsible for killing these heroes directly. Not with the helicopter watching the battle. As if told by telepathy, nine of the robots diverted from attacking the Sea-King and made their way to a downed hero, scooping them up and dropping them into the broken bunker much to the people's surprise. With them out of the way, he stopped firing his machinegun and watched intently as the monster destroyed bot after bot. [Engaging Target with intent to destroy] his robotic voice echoed out as the bots suddenly stopped attacking close and hovered, staring directly at the beast.

The Sea-King was not deterred in the slightest. "Ehehe! You humans do enjoy your toys, don't you?" he asked rhetorically as he eyed the biggest bot down, knowing that was the one with the most control. The surrounding bots, in unison, aimed their arms at him, multiple missiles extending out, ready to fire. Still, the Sea-King looked unperturbed as he watched them.

This seemed to infuriate Metal Knight. [Fire]. As one, a barrage of missiles and machinegun bullets flew directly at the aquatic monster, pelting him and exploding upon impact, it was a light show of bullets, scraps, and fire. There was so much smoke that no one watching could even see the Sea-King anymore. By all accounts, he could very well be obliterated.

The onlookers watched on in amazement at the skeptical taking place. The moral was still quite low, especially seeing Tornado fall, but there was a shred of unenthused hope that rung through the crowd of civilians.

(Random Guy 1) "d-.. do you see that barrage of missiles?" he asked, rhetorically with a tone that sounded a lot less impressed than the statement implied. "Maybe… maybe that got him…" his voice drawled off, clearly not believing his own words.

Sure enough, the firing stopped, leaving behind a glob of smoke that was quickly dispersing with the help of the rain. When it finally broke through enough, they were greeted to the sight of the Sea-King with multiple injuries and punctures to his form that he simply scoffed at and healed.

"Hehehe! Impressive barrage. Not quite strong enough, but I commend your efforts." He praised insincerely.

(Random Guy 2) He fell to his knees at the sight, completely out of whatever hope was still settled into his heart. ". . . We're gonna die . . ." his quivering voice muttered out, much to the dismay of the others.

(Random woman) "n-No w-…" She held onto her son who stared at her in worry. She just had to say something to refute the guys words. The sounds of the battle continuing made her quiver. She looked into the distraught eyes of her boy and couldn't find her voice.

(Little Boy) "m-Mommy we're not gonna die. . . r-Right?" he stuttered out, his voice cracking in pure terror.

She pursed her lips together, trying not to cry out. Seeing that face lit a fire within her eyes and she shook her head. "No, baby. We're not gonna die."

(Random Guy 2) "We are…" he said, undercutting her words of comfort for her boy. "There is no hope. We are going - to die."

(Random Guy 3) "Hey! Shut the hell up!" he demanded, jumping to the woman's defense, stepping towards the man in a threatening way.

(Random Guy 2) "It's the truth." He chuckled out sadly. "The Tornado of Terror was the last chance we had… Not even she could take on this monster."

(Random Guy 3) "I said – shut the hell up! There are children here!" he yelled, grabbing the front of the guys shirt.

From further in the bunker, towards the more opened area where the earlier heroes made their stand against the beast, S-Class rank-15, Metal Bat, sat against a wall, completely broken and incapacitated next to S-Class rank- 3, Silver Fang who was finally starting to stir awake once more.

"m-.. mrrr…" the old man groaned out as he tried to move.

"Finally awake, huh?" Metal Bat asked rhetorically from his spot, staring at the budding commotion taking place among the despairing civilians.

Bang glanced towards him before following his line of sight. "… What is going on?" he questioned.

For a moment, Metal Bat just tiredly shook his head, still looking over to the group. "They're… desperate." He said plainly. ". . . Look at them. . . Ready to tear each other apart regardless of their imminent death."

The old man shut his eyes, disguising his realization of the pain that surged through his body. Turning to his left, he saw a number of other S-Class heroes sitting up against the wall, most of them out cold. "So – I take it no one was able to defeat the Sea-King." He muttered, seeing their heaviest hitters out of commission, namely Tornado.

"Nope." The delinquent kid said plainly. For a moment that's where they left it. The sounds of the civilians bickering, drowning out everything else. ". . . Did you think it'd end like this?" he asked.

For a moment, Bang remained quiet, still watching that commotion play out in interest. "No, I-… I had always imagined it would be of old age." He replied.

The younger man chuckled tiredly. "I say you weren't too far off."

Much to his surprise, another voice from his other side responded. "No, Bang still had a few good years left."

The kid turned towards the voice to see Bomb, another great martial artist in the same state, broken and defeated. "You old people sure do stir awake fast." He commented.

The two both chuckled at the amusing statement. "Years of intense training." Bang replied. It was then that a series of explosions shook the bunker to its core, stirring a few others awake. "Someone is still standing?" he asked, looking towards Metal Bat.

"Yeah." He said lazily. "- think it's Metal Knight. His bots are the ones that brought you all in."

From Bang's other side, a new voice joined the conversation. S-Class rank-8 Zombieman. "Well, I doubt it'll be much use goin out there then." He said, looking down at his still reforming legs. "He's probably blowin' everything in sight."

"Not that we'd be much help." Said the person next to him, S-Class rank-4, Atomic Samurai. His sword was not with him and his right arm looked limp almost as if dislocated. "Whatever the hell that thing is… it's not something a mere human can beat… If it could lay out even Tornado like that, I doubt anything could take it out."

"Except for Blast." Metal Bat muttered.

"Tch, don't be stupid." Zombieman said, shaking his head. "He's not showin' up… not until at least two more cities have fallen to this thing."

"He'll be here." Yet again, someone else entered the conversation. This time it was the unusually quiet green haired woman whose gaze was focused down on the cement beneath her. The blood staining her face making her look rather unsightly.

The others refrained from further shooting her hopes down, all a bit awestruck by how. . . small she seemed. Not in the physical sense. Of course, she was small, and she absolutely hated to be reminded of that fact, but in this moment, she seemed fragile. Defeated. Essentially, the collective feel of all of them.

They were put on alert when a huge blast launched Metal Knight's assault bot through the gaping hole of the bunker. It clattered down and tumbled towards them, stopping just in front of Bang, sliding five feet in front of him. The bot raised its head enough to look at the group, the lights in its eye sockets flickering out. [I am sorry. He is too stroo-o – o] he flickered out, and just like that, their final standing hero was defeated.

With a gust of wind and rain, the monster landed back within the broken opening of the bunker, eyeing the others in glee. Again, there were a few injuries on his form that were already healing. "Heh-heh-heh!" he chuckled out menacingly as he stood to his full height. The civilians who were previously crowding the entrance in hopes he would be defeated scrambled back as far as they could possibly get in a panic. "That sure was an interesting bout, but in the end, you surface dwellers rely too much on outside influences to win your battles. You deprive yourselves of true power, placing your trust in machines and special abilities, that is why you lot are a weak species. I will reclaim this world for the Sea-Folk. As a pyramid scheme, all life originated from the depths of the seas, and as its ruler, I am the sole ruler of all life on earth."

To his shock, one of the already defeated heroes tried to move. It was the armless cyborg, pushing himself up to a sitting position using his head. The first one to confront him after those weaklings before. He was laying faced-down next to Bomb at the end of the line of heroes.

"You." He said, looking his way. "How foolish can you be? Still want to fight?"

The other heroes watched him in interest as he scrambled as much as he could until he made it to his feet, hunched over. For a moment, he seemed to steady himself before taking broken, yet courageous steps towards the monster towering within the opening of the bunker. "Genos." Bang called out. "What are you doing?" he questioned.

"t-… tch!" he grunted in frustration as he continued his trek towards the beast. "I-… I cannot let you… hurt anyone else…" he muttered. "I will do everything in my power - to stall you until _he_ arrives."

"Hmm?" The Sea-King hummed curiously. His interest clearly peeked. "Who ever it is you are waiting on will meet a similar fate when they arrive." He growled out as he stepped closer to him. "But, as it stands, I am tired of waiting. All of you put up admirable attempts, but you have lost. This means you all must die."

The civilians gasped in shock at his claim as they watched the cyborg ignore his threat completely, drawing closer and closer to his doom. It was truly over then. This was it.

"If I am to be fair, I started with you, so you shall be the first one I kill." He said, directing his statement towards the approaching cyborg. Before Genos made it into the Sea Kings range, a bullet met the monsters cheek, stopping everything.

It was completely ineffective, and it simply bounced off, but the audacity of whoever it was brought everyone's attention to a halt. Everyone's gaze shifted towards the slowly rising Zombieman whose legs were finally healed. He held his focused gaze sharp on the monster who looked his way. "Hey, as long as I can fight, I'll side with Demon Cyborg. You won't hurt anyone while we're still here." He threatened pointlessly.

The Sea-King gave him a curious look. "You… I thought I killed you already." He remarked rather blandly.

"Yeah, well you're gonna find it's a lot harder than that." He remarked coolly.

"Hehehe! No matter. I'll get to you soon." He muttered as he looked back to Genos. He made to step towards him and into the cover of the bunker but found he could not move his legs. Some force was preventing him from doing so. This time, everyone's gaze turned towards the person they were sure was responsible. Sure enough, Tornado had her hand stretched out, restricting his movements as she struggled to her feet. "You as well, child?" he questioned, rather surprised.

"You.. will not hurt anyone else…" she said, essentially repeating the words of the cyborg. "w-… When he gets here you'll…" She never finished her statement. Unbeknownst to her and everyone else, they were not speaking of the same person. Regardless, the sentiment was there. They were going to hold out for as long as they could, no matter what. Waiting on a savior. Slowly, it seemed the other heroes were getting on board with this sentiment and were preparing to do what they could, but they didn't get the chance.

The Sea-King chuckled once more before overpowering her hold and standing up right once more. "Heheh! You insolent fools. Your death here is certain. No matter who you pray to for survival. I will start with you, cyborg." He said, looking down at Genos. His gaze then looked back towards Tatsumaki on the other side of the wall. "- but I ensure you, I will take the most pleasure in ending _your_ life, esper." With that proclamation, his gaze turned back to the broken bot before him in interest. "Hmm? You are clearly defeated Cyborg. Why stand before me defenseless, knowing you will only die sooner? Come to beg for your life?"

Genos stood there with his head held low. He had no arms, his body was far too broken for him to do anything with and he couldn't self-destruct with the civilians and other heroes within range. Why he stood before this monster defenseless? That's probably what everyone is likely asking right now. "Be-heh… because… there is… there is only one thing in existence I would ever bow to… and I know that – even if we die here."

"When." The Sea King corrected, rather arrogantly, as he grinned at his prey's words.

Genos steadied himself once more before taking a few more steps, eventually ending up beneath the rain, meaning he reached the opening of the broken part of the bunker. "Even when we die… you will eventually run into him… and when you do, you will TREMBLE IN THE FACE OF TRUE POWER!" He was now looking up into the beasts mocking eyes with true conviction and unrivaled fury piercing through him.

A silence befell them all as they watched the eyes of this beast stare down at Demon Cyborg with uninterested eyes. "Heh… heh-heh!" The Sea King slowly began to chuckle out. "True power… Have I not shown you true power?" He held his hands out, gesturing towards the other downed heroes, those who were conscious trying to scramble their way to their feet as well. "Is this not the pinnacle form of life on this planet? Look at you humans. Nothing but weak flesh and misguided convictions. A few of you blessed with unrivalled ability and yet you still fall at my feet. The strongest of your defenders have fallen victim to my apex power and you believe there is someone far superior? If you are trying to save face for your society of land-dwellers or possibly inspire hope of possible survival, allow me to correct that." His form turned much darker as he morphed back into his mutated form and he prepared to strike. "I AM UNBEATABLE! YOU WILL ALL DIE HER-..!"

(KA-THEW)

Everything stopped as they watched the black blood of the Sea King spurt out the side of his head almost as if he were shot, the wall of the bunker to their right suddenly impaled by an object of some kind. It looked like he was suddenly sniped in the side of the head, but that couldn't be. They just witnessed Zombieman's bullet bounce off his cheek and not even Metal Knight's missiles could break his skin, so what the hell kind of gun was that? Whatever the case, the massive body fell over to its side right on the edge of the broken wall.

The people watched the clearly dead body of the Sea-King slip out the bunker, all but assuring them this was all over. Still, their speechless gazes turned to look at the spider crack that appeared within the wall opposite all of them. It was unscathed until just then and even the civilians could guess that's where the projectile must have landed. With unmatched curiosity at such a feat, Zombieman (also being the only hero able to move without pain) ran towards the wall to inspect whose bullet it was that could have taken this monster down. Everyone's gaze watched him in anticipation, most of them waiting desperately to hear who they could praise for their salvation.

He made it and looked into the center of the spiderweb like crack, his eyes slowly but surely widening upon his revelation. "Uh-!" he gasped, catching everyone's attention in a death-like grip as they waited with bated breaths to see what had happened. Digging his fingers inside, he pulled the object out, examining it for himself.

"Wh- What is it Zombieman!?" Metal Bat called out, not able to handle such suspense.

Slowly, he began turning back to them, allowing them to see that absolute shock on his face. "It's… It's a pebble!" he shouted, holding it up.

Mass confusion ran through them all as their brains scrambled to make sense of such an incomprehensible revelation. There was no way! Unless… of course!

(Random Guy 2) "i-.. It was TORNADO!" He shouted, pointing his finger towards the small green-haired woman who looked just as shocked as everyone else. But, her hand was still held out in the direction the Sea-King had fallen, simply out of pure shock as her eyes were glued to the pebble in Zombieman's hand. "She used the last of her power to SAVE US!"

His words finally seemed to rally the others as they all shouted, rejoicing in their rescue! Their screams of appreciation as well as the appraisal of a few of her fellow co-workers brought her back to reality. She looked around confused for a moment before she realized what was happening. They believed it was her who had saved them here today, but… looking at that pebble, even from here, she could see it was smooth. It wasn't a piece of rubble that she was using from around here. In fact, there were no pebbles like that around here anywhere! So, where did it come from?

As she was showered in words of praise and approval, a single pair of eyes looked at her from where he himself sat, knowing just as well as her it was not her doing today.

* * *

(Elsewhere within City-J, 5 mins earlier)

Saitama, adorning his bright yellow suit with the bright red boots and gloves to match, walked along a cliffside overlooking the city, a map in his hands. He had an irritated look on his face as he used his cape to cover the sheet of paper. "Rgh! I saw it was raining on the television, but I've still forgotten an umbrella." He muttered out, frustrated with himself. 'Where is this Sea thing anyways? I can't seem to find that bunker. This map is so confusing. I can't even read the words anymore. They smudged off in the rain.' He halted his steps when he turned to his right to see an old man sweeping his porch peacefully, despite the rain. An odd sight indeed. "Oy! Old man!" he called out through the roaring of the rain.

He didn't seem to hear him, so he walked towards him, up the walkway leading to the porch. "Oy!" he called again.

"Hm?" The old timer questioned, looking towards him, adjusting his glasses so he could see him better. "Oh, yes? What can I do for you?"

"It's raining out here." He pointed out, giving him a curious look. "You shouldn't sweep while it's all windy and stuff. Its rather pointless. Anyways, could you tell me how to get to bunker 243?" he questioned, holding the map up for him to see.

The old man stepped closer to get a look at the map he was showing. "Oh, no I'm afraid not, young man. I've never been one for going to the bunkers." He said, disappointing him. The Caped Baldy sighed and turned to make his leave. "Say, are you a hero?"

Saitama turned back. "Oh, well. No. Not anymore. I was for a little while." He said.

The old man grew rather curious. "How come you stopped?"

Saitama stared at him strangely for a moment, not saying anything. "… I don't know. Just got kind of boring is all." He said with a shrug.

"You seem dressed up like a hero." He pointed out, looking at his outfit.

He looked down at his clothes. "Oh, yeah. I sort of quit not too long ago, but there are some kind of big scary monsters in this city that they say could kill a lot of people if no one stops them, so I figured I'd come check it out. Sounds kind of interesting."

"Oh, yes. I see. That does sound interesting." He said, seemingly going back to his sweeping. "You take care now." He called back dismissively.

Saitama raised an eyebrow. 'Is he still gonna sweep? Geez, what an odd old man.' His eyes traveled up to his head. 'Even he has hair at his age.' He thought dejectedly as he rubbed his smooth dome.

With that behind him, he left and headed down the gravel road once again. He continued walking for a moment, his boots crunching the small rocks beneath him. 'Well, I was hoping he knew his way around the city since he lives here, but…' A serious expression overtook his visage as he stared straight ahead. 'Whatever the case, I have to find it soon. Genos could be in serious trouble. Plus, I put a hotpot on to boil before I left home.' With that thought in mind, he prepared to launch himself up into the air to see if he could see it through this thick rain, but before he did, his attention turned towards the city.

It was a very far ways away. So far, he had to squint to see it. There was a bunker over there that looked like it was in trouble. A green beast standing within its busted out opening. 'Oh, could that be it?' he questioned. 'Wait, I thought that Sea-turtle guy was supposed to be brown, not green…' Before he could think more on it, he heard it start yelling something that he couldn't exactly hear. 'Oh, there could be people in there, but it is too far for me to make it in time.'

Thinking on his dilemma, he looked down to his feet. "Ah." He muttered as he picked up one of the small pebbles from the gravel road. Holding it on the nail of his middle finger, pinning it with his thumb, he casually took his aim before flicking it away. From his spot he could see it hitting the monster directly in the head, dropping its body down just like that. The splatter of black liquid that hit the wall was also a rather clear sign as well. After a moment, the big body slipped out, tumbling down onto the outside of the bunker. "How… lame" he muttered, clearly disappointed. "Must have been a weaker one. I guess I'll keep searching until I find it." With that, he shrugged and continued on.

After five more minutes of walking around the busier city section with a very ticked off expression at not being able to find the location, Saitama grit his teeth rather comically. "Rrrgh! Where is this stupid place!? You'd think there'd be some kind of big battle going on or something!" he growled out frustrated until his gaze landed on some movement. One of the bunkers across the street suddenly opened up, relieved looking citizens funneling out with smiles and rejoicing voices filling the previously dead quiet street he was on. "Huh?.. Uh, excuse me, Miss?" he said, calling out to the girl closest to him just before she passed. "What's going on? I thought there was a monster warning or something."

"Yeah, there was!" She said happily, pointing up at the giant screen built into the top of the entrance of the bunker which was displaying the live coverage of the bunker that was apparently attacked. There were people funneling out, but the camera seemed focused on the Hero of the day. "It was this big ugly fish king thing, but the Tornado of Terror totally wrecked him a few minutes ago! It was amazing!"

Saitama visually looked upset about this, essentially cringing at this disturbing news. "Tch! So, I came all this way for absolutely nothing!?" he grit out between his clenched teeth, clearly scaring the girl a bit. That's when another thought hit him. "o-Oh! What about the heroes. Was anyone hurt?" he asked rather urgently, gripping her shoulders desperately.

"w-Well, yeah. But, everyone survived, so I think its going to be okay." She said, her fearful visage trying to get away from this weird bald guy.

With that, his face returned to a normal plain expression and he let her go. "O-. Ok. Well. I guess I'll go home."

* * *

(The Next Day)

Again, unusually quiet, Tatsumaki sat in her seat within their meeting room listening to the blabbering of the others drone on continuously to no end. A very curious look in her eyes as she was lost in thought. She heard their words, but they were dwarfed by the words swimming within her head. Her thoughts consisting of just what the hell happened the day before, as well as something she was told not too long ago.

All day long she has been praised for her defeat of the Sea King by everyone. All of the heroes injured were kept here within HQ for healing and recuperation. In the infirmary, there are nothing but televisions plastered about, displaying the news channels and talk shows. Without fail, every single channel was talking about the recent disaster, namely her saving the day. What's more, they were talking about Blast not showing himself when it was clearly a situation in which he was desperately needed.

Earlier this morning, those headlines of theirs pissed her off. Many of them she assumed were the collective thoughts of the people. 'Blast is GONE, time for a new No. 1' They had lost faith in that all mighty hero spoken about in hushed whispers and tales of unbelievable heroics. The one she herself trusted with her life. Now, it became a debate about moving everyone up a rank and stop holding onto the past. They were going to put her at the number 1 rank within S-Class. That bothered her now for a very different reason than it did just a few hours ago.

* * *

 _"Er, Tatsumaki." Sitch said, trying to calm the small woman down to no avail._

 _She hovered over his desk, staring down at him with an expression that promised pain. Her head wrapped up from the injuries she sustained the day before. "Did you hear me!? I said, I want to know!" she demanded, leaving no room for refusal._

 _"We would, if we could." The man said in reply, apparently denying whatever she was requesting. "Look, you're saying it wasn't you who delivered that killing blow, and I believe you. That's not something you'd lie about, but I can assure you, it wasn't Blast either. You should know that as well as anyone. That's not how his power works."_

 _"You don't know that! He's been gone for a long time! He could have been training all this time! I DON'T KNOW! But, I DO know that you know where he is! So, tell me now, or I walk!" she demanded._

 _"Tatsu-.. Look, you can't just up and walk. These people need you now more than ever." He pleaded looking at her seriously. "… If you were wondering about this recent news, then I can assure you, it is likely going to happen."_

 _"What!?" she yelled out, incredulously. "No! You can't do that! Blast is supposed to be number 1!"_

 _"The people have spoken already Tornado." Sitch said, closing his eyes. "Blast has not shown himself, not even the day before when we desperately needed him. They don't want a hero who waits until the last possible moment to step in. They can no longer put their faith in someone that allows thousands to die before they are saved. But you… you were on the scene as fast as you could be, and you put up more of a fight than any of the other heroes."_

 _"And still I couldn't kill that thing! I'm telling you. It HAS to have been Blast! No one else could'v-.."_

 _"Blast is dead – Tatsumaki." Sitch admittedly regretfully, watching as that shock played out across her face. She seemed too stunned to even speak, so he took the opportunity to explain himself on behalf of the organization in full. "He succumbed to his injuries against Elder Centipede 2 years ago… As his dying wish, he requested we keep his name alive until the people find a new symbol of hope to stand against unparalleled evil when no one else can." He watched as she slowly descended from her floating position, landing in the chair opposite him. "… I am sorry we could not tell you Tatsumaki… I know you cared for him deeply."_

 _Despite what he said, her mind was on something else entirely. Yeah, finding out Blast is dead was a big hit to her gut, but… even so. "Then… who was it that killed the Sea King?"_

* * *

Who was it that killed the Sea King? That's what she really wanted to know. 'If there is someone who could kill a monster that strong, then they deserve to be the number 1 hero… Not me.' She thought dejectedly. As prideful as she is on her own strength, she knew for a fact that nothing she threw at that beast could even hope to stop the monster that was the Sea King. She had pelted him with pieces of rubble equal to the size of that pebble, crushed him with huge chunks of debris from the broken bunker, even hit him with a couple of nearby cars, but still. None of that hurt him enough to where he couldn't regenerate. Sure, had she been in a more opened space without the fear of hitting the civilians, it would've been a cake walk. She'd have crushed him with a meteor before he could use his little scale screech technique, but there was no way she could have beaten him with a pebble.

The people were desperate yesterday. Not only desperate to live, but even after their salvation, they were desperate to thank whoever it was who killed it. Too desperate to see reason. If they had just rationalized with themselves and saw her previous attacks were useless, then they'd know that pebble was not thrown by her.

"Symbol of Hope…" she muttered out quietly to herself, drawing the attention of the old man sitting next to her.

Bang watched her in interest. He was well aware of the dilemma she was in at the moment. It may have slipped by the untrained eyes of the civilians and even a few of the heroes, but he knew she was not the one to deliver that final blow. This was a feat done by the same man who split that meteor which nearly crushed his dojo. He didn't see it, but he knew it without a doubt. Having met Saitama before, this was exactly something he would do. That man is beyond anything Bang has ever seen and he witnessed the battle between Blast and Elder Centipede first hand.

A part of him wanted to tell her that… or rather, tell everyone that, but it didn't feel right. If people knew someone like him existed, there'd be more chaos than peace. Power is magnetic. It is best if someone like him stays hidden. Catching wind of someone so powerful would draw bigger and more dangerous threats. The world is set to balance itself out that way. It was bad enough Tatsumaki existed. He used to believe her power was limitless… or even Blast's. But… meeting that bald man humbled his beliefs like a child being reprimanded by their idol. Not Tatsumaki or Blast could even hold a candle… or even a fading ember to the flame that is Saitama's power. If he were sent by God or some other deity? Bang didn't know. But, no crisis they endured did he fear could be the end of mankind. As long as he is here and on the side of righteousness, there will always be salvation.

"Blast is dead." Sitch said, yet again. This time a very serious proclamation to all of the S-Class heroes in attendance who looked on in disbelief. "A few of you already know this, but for those of you who do not, please listen closely." He began before he was cut off.

Metal Bat stood up, planting his hands on the table. "Wait! What did you just say!? He's dead!?"

"If you would calm yourself, you may hear his reasoning." Flashy Flash reprimanded him.

Sitch nodded towards the effeminate blonde man. "Thank you, Flashy. As I was saying, please listen closely. 2 years ago, after the appearance of Elder Centipede, Blast appeared for the last time, fighting and nearly killing the monster. Elder Centipede however inflicted just as much damage upon Blast himself before escaping. It is unknown if that monster survived his injuries, but Blast did not. Per his instruction, we were not to inform anyone who was not in the room upon his dying bed of his death as he believed there would be more panic than necessary. He wanted his name to remain as a Symbol of Hope in any situation until another was found to take that mantel. If you've been watching these broadcasts today, it is clear that people have begun to lose faith in his name… for they've set their sights on a new pillar of strength. Someone who has held the second rank for quite some time now has gained the admiration of all and the trust of many. That is why, the circumstances of Blast's death have now been released to the public on the Heroes website just before I arrived. All of you will be moved up one rank, placing Tornado of Terror in that number 1 S-Class position."

Gasps of surprise and joyful looks turned toward the green-haired Esper who didn't seem to care much. Her unfocused gaze still set on the edge of the table, deep in thought. When she did notice the attention on her, she turned towards Sitch with a curious look.

"Tatsumaki. I do hope you accept the rank 1 position with the highest honors and step fearlessly into the role of the Symbol of Hope that the people desperately need." His words were said with an air of hope behind them that vibrated strongly throughout the room, flooding smiles onto the faces of a few of the others… buuut, his words were quickly shot down.

"No." She said suddenly, shocking everyone and ending that epic moment where it stood.

"GAH!" Atomic Samurai exclaimed. "Did she just say no!?"

"Oh, Tatsumaki honey." Puri-puri prisoner called out with a sincere tone. "What are you doing?"

She floated out of her seat and towards the television which was playing the aerial shot of the Sea-Kings death over and over again. "I said no." She repeated, pointing at the image, further drawing their attention. "You see this?... this wasn't me. I don't know what the heck did that, but the rubble I was pelting that thing with wasn't nearly as effective! Although I probably could've beaten that Sea-Freak no problem in an open area, I was just as useless as all of you yesterday due to his close proximity to the civilians. But… someone or something did this to this monster with a pebble… a FREAKING pebble!" she shouted. "That's who should be number 1."

"Wait-wait-wait, you _didn't_ kill that thing?" Child Emperor asked from his position as he licked on a colorful lollipop.

"But, it was a pebble. Isn't that like your main weapon or whatever?" Metal Bat asked, lounging back on his seat lazily.

She grit her teeth, clearly upset by such a demeaning comment. "NO! SHUT UP!" she comically shouted out her denial of such a demeaning comment.

Before she could continue, Bang threw in his two cents. "Ah, so my assumption was correct." He muttered, just loud enough to draw everyone's attention. "That pebble that Zombieman pulled from the wall was far too smooth to have been from anywhere near the city-oriented section we were in. I was sure it must have come from quite a ways away. But, the question then becomes: who did throw it?"

Child Emperor thought hard on it before pulling out some kind of tablet. "Well, if I can get the feed of the precise trajectory from the aerial shot – maybe I can find at the very least a general location as to where our pebble thrower was."

As he spoke, a hologram of City-J right before the death of the Sea King came up, covering the table. They all watched intently as he zoomed in on the bunker, displaying vividly the scene they were subjected to just the previous day down to the detail of even the civilians and Metal Knight's broken bots.

Zooming in even further to where the Sea King and the crack in the wall were, he stopped there and continued explaining. "So, assuming there was absolutely no curve to the pebbles path due to precisely how fast it had to be moving for it to pierce the Sea King's skin… our thrower will have been… way over here." He said, drawing the map over to the cliff side a solid 1800 meters away.

"Uh-!" The others exclaimed in utter surprise.

Before anyone protested the theory he quickly explained the theory in full. "It's no question. This road here is a residential walk way with their parking garage being at the front of their community. All of these roads are paved with gravel walk ways.

"Well, was there a camera over there that you could hack into, so we can see who was over there at the time?" Zombieman asked curiously, the others muttering in agreement.

The kid shook his head. "Uh-uh. The power to the city was funneled into the bunkers, meaning all street cams and security cams would have stopped running unless powered by a generator. The only possible way we could even get a hope at seeing who was over there is from the broadcast."

With that, he tapped on his screen a few times before swiping his hand up, seemingly throwing his screen onto the television next to Tatsumaki. It was showing the same scene of the aerial shot, but from the direction the news helicopter was facing, that cliff could be seen.

"They were already backed up quite a bit, so there's no way I'll be able to get a good picture of whoever was over there, but…" he began zooming in behind the back of the Sea King, aiming at the cliff. The distance, coupled with the hellish rain, made it almost impossible to see anything. The further he zoomed, the more everything just looked like colorful smudges. You could make out a red car, but not much else.

"Scroll along the whole cliff side." Tatsumaki demanded, looking far more intense than the rest of them.

Child Emperor did as instructed, going back and forth between both visible ends, but there was just nothing to be found. With a sigh, he stopped scrolling. "Look, I don't think we're gonna find anything. Not through that thick of a storm. Besides, why are we trying to find this guy anyways? If he's really that strong then, I bet he's already a hero. I say we just wait until someone comes to actually claim the kill. Or… maybe they don't want to be a hero."

"The boy is right." Bang said, drawing everyone's attention further. "Whoever this individual is must clearly not want to be seen as they intentionally attacked from afar, avoiding the broadcast camera and our detection."

"I agree." Atomic Samurai muttered. "But, there's also a possibility that this thing wasn't a hero at all… you're all so quick to assume that because it killed a monster, but monsters killing monsters is nothing new. If it took that thing down with a mere pebble, we better make damn sure whatever it is - is on our side."

This new debate topic kicked off, drawing the intense focus of everyone there aside from three. Tatsumaki, who was staring at the screen intently, apparently squinting to see better. There was something there, and she was sure of it. Along the cliff, a small very hardly noticeable smudge of… of yellow perhaps?

The other two not paying attention were Bang and Genos, both of whom were watching her in interest. Genos knew very well who it must have been. Even though he had yet to return any of his 196 calls or respond to one of his 354 SOS messages, he was sure it was Saitama-sensei. He hadn't gotten the chance to speak to him yet as he's been under lock and key here, but no one else could accomplish such a feat. But, he was also aware Saitama-sensei is retired from hero work. So, maybe that meant he didn't want to be found out.

But… then again, what Atomic Samurai said was rather troubling as well. What if… what if it is a villain that strong? At that point, only Saitama-sensei could kill such a beast. His mind was running a thousand miles a minute with possible scenarios that could play out, but he ultimately decided he'd just ask the man himself upon his return. He still had to go see the Doctor for some upgrades, but he had to see if Saitama-sensei was okay with all of this or if he even knew.

* * *

Walking down the hall of his sensei's apartment building, Genos continued to think on the possible threat. He truly believed it had to be Saitama-sensei who killed the Sea King, but still, that sliver of doubt was there. With a single pebble, a monster no other S-Class hero could beat was taken down. It was just the difference of strength between himself and his sensei, but if he were to find out it wasn't him? It would be truly dangerous.

Making it to his door, he opened it up and stepped inside. "Sensei!" he called out, not seeing him sitting on the couch or cooking as usual. Was he here?

He finally noticed him stepping out of the bathroom in his work clothes. "Oh, Genos." The bald man called out. "You're all fixed up."

"Not yet Sensei. I received basic repairs from S-Class rank-5 member, Child Emperor. But, my weapons systems were too deeply intertwined with my human parts for him to repair with confidence. In order to be back to one hundred percent and receive upgrades, I must go see Doctor Kuseno."

It didn't seem as though Saitama was fully listening as he pulled a bag from off the counter. "Huh? Oh. Okay. Lock the door if you leave." He said as he began walking towards the door.

"Wait, Sensei, please allow me to walk you to work." He demanded with a bow.

Saitama simply lifted an eyebrow curiously. "Uh.. sure. Do you think it will rain again today?" He asked as they left his apartment.

* * *

Walking down the street, Genos came outright and stated what was on his mind, never being one to beat around the bush. "Sensei. The Sea King was recently defeated." He stated, drawing his bald master's attention.

Saitama glanced over to him curiously. "Oh, yeah. I saw that on the news this morning. It was that green haired kid, right? Torpedo of Time or something?"

"Well – actually, her name is Tornado of Terror – but no, it was not her. That was the original analysis of all who witnessed the finishing blow, but she has revealed to all of us S-Class heroes that she in fact did not defeat that monster." He informed him.

"Oh? Is that so? Then who did?" he asked, opening his packed lunch to ensure he didn't forget anything.

"That is something the association cannot seem to discover. But, the finishing blow was delivered with a mere pebble." He said. A shocked look immediately overtook the bald man as he halted his steps. Genos was immediately alert as well. "uh-! Sensei!" he called out in worry.

Saitama's eyes were wide, and he looked absolutely terrified. "… oh, never mind. Here it is." He said, returning to normal once he found the item he was looking for. "So, you said a pebble? That's odd. I beat a monster with a pebble yesterday as well."

Genos turned towards him looking very relieved. "You did!? Of course, you did! I had no doubt in my mind it was you who saved us!" He exclaimed, overjoyed and relieved.

Saitama raised an eyebrow. "Oh, wait. Was the Ocean queen like a big green monster?" he asked curiously, already forgetting the name.

Genos nodded. "Yes. It was your feat that saved our lives and I thank you on behalf of my colleagues." He bowed lowly halting their walk momentarily.

"Oh, well it was nothing. It wasn't that hard. I thought it was one of the minions." He said far too casually for it to be meant as an insult. "Well, I guess it did have that crown thing on its head. Hey, do you think we could have pawned that for some money? How much do you think it would have gone for?"

Genos seemed to disregard his question, instead opting to inform him of further knowledge he's acquired. "There is also a new revelation that has just been revealed to the public. It would appear that Blast has been dead for quite some time."

"Blast?" Saitama asked, clearly confused by that name.

"Blast was the S-Class rank-1 hero. Known as the strongest there has ever been. As one of the founding heroes, it was said his abilities were unrivalled. Up until today, his death was kept secret, leading people to believe he only appears when the fate of the world is at stake. It would appear that this was simply a rouse to inspire hope in people no matter the situation, but now that Tornado of Terror has garnished the praise in such a moment, the association has decided to come clean with the death of the rank 1 hero in order to promote everyone, but Tornado of Terror does not wish t-.."

"Yeah-yeah." Saitama called out, waving him off of his long-winded explanation. In truth, he only heard about half of it. "I got it. So, you've been promoted?" he asked, at least picking that piece out of everything he said.

"Yes Sensei. But, not due to everyone moving up. As you may or may not know, the previous S-Class rank-7 member, King, otherwise known as the strongest man in the world, was outed as a fraud. He in fact was a mere regular man with an incredibly audible heartbeat. With his resignation from the Hero Association, everyone beneath him has been promoted, moving me to S-Class rank-13."

"Ah, rank-13 huh? Looks like you're almost within the top-ten." He remarked rather calmly, seeming to praise his progress on the outside… on the inside however. 'Crap! He's already almost top ten!? That was way too fast! What goal am I supposed to give him after he reaches that?'

"Sensei? What is wrong?" Genos asked urgently, seeing the rather distraught look on his face.

"n-Nothing!" Saitama remarked, looking away from him. "I am simply working on my sales face, that's all!"

"I understand." Genos said, with a far too serious look in his eyes as he watched him. "I believe that look may be far too intense for a cashier. May I recommend a more inviting look? More pleasant and welcoming, perhaps a smile."

"Yeah. I guess so." He muttered. Their conversation ended when they reached the quarantine gate of City-Z, approaching the border of City-Y. Saitama's store a block away, he turned to Genos. "Hey, didn't you say you had to go and see your doctor?" he questioned.

"Yes. I shall be home by the time you get off. Is there a meal you would like me to prepare for your arrival?" his cybernetic student inquired.

Saitama thought it over. "Mmm.. No. Just whatever you feel like making I guess. I decided to pull the late shift as well in hopes of impressing my superiors. Maybe I can get a promotion. I'll be home around midnight. See you later Genos." He said, waving over his shoulder.

Genos watched him walk away, a small smile appearing on his face. 'Saitama-sensei is always striving to improve… I shall do the same.' He thought before turning the other way.

* * *

(Hours later)

Saitama sat on his stool behind the counter, reading a manga while he waited for a customer. He's been working all day and its been a fairly steady flow of business. With it being the later hours of the night, it was actually a bit peaceful. It would be just him manning the store for the next few minutes or so as his coworker was in the back, packing up to end their shift. He was waiting on the late night worker to arrive, apparently he was running a little late.

The ringing of the bell above the door let him know someone was entering. Looking towards them, it was an elderly man. "Welcome." He called out rather blandly before going back to reading. A few moments later, his coworker, a younger guy maybe in his teens came trotting out from the back room.

"Bye Saitama! I'll see you tomorrow!" the kid called out happily.

"Yeah." Saitama replied basically, not watching as the kid left the store.

A few more moments and the old man finally made his way back to the counter carrying a small carton of milk and a single noodle cup. Saitama stood to his feet, ready to check him out.

"Will this be all, old man?" He asked.

The old timer nodded his head. "Yes sir. Just getting a little dinner is all."

"Ah." The bald man remarked pointlessly. "Ramen isn't very nutritious."

The old man chuckled rather dryly. "Ohoh-hoh. Yeah.. I know, but since my wife passed, I don't really want to eat anything that's not her cooking. These little cup noodles aren't great, but when we were down on our luck, we'd sit down with a few of these and make a night of it."

Saitama bagged his items with a confused expression plastered on his face. 'Geez, I was only joking. He didn't have to give me his life story or anything.' He finished collecting his change, handing it over. "There you go. Enjoy." He said, his expression still as plain as ever.

"Thank you, young man. You have a nice day now." He said happily on his way towards the door. When he made it, he opened it up and stepped aside, allowing the small figure wrapped in a dark green hoodie inside before he stepped out. "There you go little lady." He muttered before leaving himself.

Saitama watched the person enter and head straight back towards the fridges. They didn't even glance his way. "Welcome." He called out regardless. With that, he retook his seat back on the stool, reading through his manga. For a few moments, it was just that as he waited for that customer to return to pay. He was alerted to the door opening yet again. Another hooded figure dressed in all black stepped inside, this one far bigger, clearly a man. 'Is it raining? Why is everyone wearing hoodies?' "Welcome." He muttered again, his eyes shifting back to his manga.

A clicking sound caught his attention and he looked up to see the man who just entered standing in front of him… a pistol in his hand with a silencer muzzling the barrel. "Alright buddy, jus- give me the money a-and I'll leave." He growled out in a threatening voice that didn't hold up through his own quivering.

Saitama's completely uninterested stare watched him curiously. "Huh? Give you the money?" He asked.

"Yes! Give me the damn money!" He struggled to pull a bag out from his back pocket, slapping it down on the counter. "Put it in the bag! And-nd I'll walk! – I won't shoot you! I just need the money!"

"Oh." Saitama said, as if he made an interesting revelation. "Are you a robber?"

The guy sweat dropped curiously. "Wha- look, just put it in the damn bag already! I don't want to shoot you, but I will! I _swear_ I will!"

"Why would you rob this place if you need money?" he asked curiously, completely disregarding his words of demand. "I mean, we do have a help wanted sign out there."

"sh-.. SHUT UP! Just do as I say!" he shouted.

"I can't." the bald man said, folding his arms over his chest stubbornly. "Not unless you make a purchase."

"A purch-! What the hell are you talking about!? Just open the damn register!" he shouted, desperately.

Saitama simply shrugged. "I can't. I have to scan in an item before the register can open."

"Motherf-.. a-alright. Okay, give me… give me a pack of smokes. The red bars." He said, nodding back towards the wall of cigarettes.

Saitama turned around to look for the item. When he found it, he turned back. "Ok. I'm gonna need to see some ID buddy." He said, completely infuriating the man.

"SOME ID!? SOME ID!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?" He shook his head, completely passed his breaking point. "rrrRRGH. I didn't want to do this guy, but you've left me no choice." He muttered as he cocked his gun, aiming it right at Saitama's head.

The still rather uninterested look in the bald man's eyes only served to further infuriate him. He couldn't take it anymore. Slowly, but surely, he pulled his trigger. "… Uh-!" he gasped, looking at the bullet that stopped midway towards its target, just floating in the air.

Saitama looked at it as well, watching it in interest. "Oh." He muttered, finding it rather cool to see. Then, before his eyes, the gun seemed to slip up and out of the guys hands, levitating along with the floating bullet, shocking the man.

"a-Ah!" he exclaimed, watching them curiously. "What th-.. i-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were an.."

"Get out." A meek voice echoed from behind him. The guy turned around, stepping back and away, giving Saitama a view of the small feminine figure of the well-known child he just couldn't seem to place a name to. Her hood now down exposing her curly green hair. She seemed… a bit off. Her nose a bright red and her sunken eyes a bit pink. She held a bottle of cough medicine in her right hand as she sniffled a few times.

"a-Ah! t-… Tor-…" he tried to mutter out but couldn't seem to find his words. Her sickly eyes shifted over to him with a dangerously irritated look that warned him of anything else. Without any further warning needed, he scrambled his way out the door, tripping over himself a few times before he made it.

Saitama watched curiously before looking down towards the counter. "Huh-.. he forgot his bag." He muttered, holding the sack up before setting it aside.

The small woman stepped up towards the counter, setting her item down and holding her other hand up as if expecting Saitama to give her something. He raised his eyebrow curiously until he saw the gun float back down, landing in her palm.

"Oh. He forgot his gun too… do you think he'll come back for this stuff?" he asked her.

She squinted her eyes at him before just shaking her head. "Just hurry up baldy." She muttered, a small hand bag floating out from beneath her hoodie.

Saitama cringed heavily at the nickname she gave to him. 'TCH! What'd I do to her!?' His look returned to that of casual irritation as he grabbed her item, pulling it to the scanner. Before he scanned it, he stopped himself. "o-.. wait. Are you-"

She internally sighed. She didn't really want to be recognized right now.

"-old enough to buy this?"

Saitama watched on curiously as her body seemed to stiffen suddenly, her hands clenching tightly.

"Yeah. This is cold medicine. I can't sell to anyone under 18. If your mommy told you to come and buy this, then I'd have to ask you to go and get her to pay for this." Every word he spoke she seemed to shake more and more violently in anger that he simply didn't notice. "Besides, what's a kid like you doing out so late. Is it summer time already?"

"I'M-NOT-A-KID-YOU-STUPID-BALDY! I'M-A-GROWN-WOMAN! WHO-THE-HECK-DO-YOU-THINK-YOU'RE-CALLING-A-KID!? HUH!? DO-YOU-KNOW-WHO-I-AM!?" She began screaming, her words so closely woven together he couldn't exactly pick them apart. "I'M-S-CLASS-RANK-2-HERO! YOU STUPID-EGG-HEAD! WHERE-DO-YOU-GET-OFF-CALLING-ME-A-KID-HUH!?"

"Alright-alright." Saitama said, digging in his ear with his pinky as if a bit annoyed by her voice as he simply scanned it in. "That'll be $11.18."

"That too." She muttered, still rather irritated as she used her power to plop something else down on the counter.

Saitama picked it up to scan it in, examining what it was as he did. "Candy apples?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah! They're candy apples! What, you got something to say about that!?" she demanded, still rather irritated about him demeaning her earlier.

He raised an eyebrow curiously, still seeming rather disinterested with the whole situation. "No. It's just, I don't like these very much. The ones from the amusement park in City-E are a lot better."

She seemed taken back by that as she watched him scan it in. She was expecting some kind of comment about how childish it was. "Oh.. yeah." She muttered along with his comment. Those were the best.

"Okay, and that'll bring your total to $16.23." he said.

She pulled her little hand bag up, a small black card slipping out if it and floating towards the baldy. As he took it, she looked at him a bit closer. What was wrong with this guy? He seemed rather normal, but in the face of that gun just now, he didn't even flinch. It was almost as if he didn't even care. Figuring she'd probably never see him again, she asked him. "So, what's your deal light bulb? You got a death wish?"

Again, he raised an eyebrow at her, not understanding what she was asking. "Huh?"

"You didn't seem to care that you were going to die earlier. Are you depressed or something?"

"Depressed?" He asked curiously, apparently not being familiar with that word.

She nodded slowly. "yyyeah, you know?.. lack excitement in life and all that."

"Oh.." he muttered. 'lack excitement…' that seemed about right to him. "Yeah, I guess so." He said with a small, plain faced smile, completely normal as if he thought it was a good thing.

"Tch, figures." She said. "It must be your bald head that prevents you from living a fulfilling life."

"Hey! So, I'm bald! So what!?" he yelled, clearly hit hard by that careless comment.

"So, I bet you can't get a girlfriend! That's all you regular guys ever think about right!? When you don't have any hero responsibilities, it's all about work and dating!"

He stopped his anger altogether, looking at her curiously. "Huh? Wait.. are you a hero?" He asked. She gave him a look that just screamed he was an idiot. Of course, he didn't notice or care as he seemed to recognize her if even a little. "Oh, yeah. I think I saw you on the news the other day. You're uh.. t-.. Turbine of Talent or something right?"

"… Tornado of Terror." She muttered through gritted teeth.

"Yeah." He exclaimed rather blandly. "You are the one they say killed that Ocean King, right?" he asked.

She squinted her eyes at him curiously. Why did he say it like that? "Yeah."

"Ah, well that's okay." He said, rubbing the back of his head with that bland smile of his as he handed her the bag with her stuff inside. "I mean, I guess since I'm not doing hero work, that credit would have to go somewhere, right?" he asked, much to her confusion.

"w-.." she began before she was cut off by the dinging of the door.

"Welco-.. Oh." Saitama said, stopping when he realized who it was. "I guess my shift is over."

Tatsumaki turned towards the person entering to see an older man wearing the same uniform with a pair of headphones on. When she turned back, the bald guy was gone, presumably in the back. What the hell did he mean?

* * *

 **AN: Now, even though it's no longer a test chapter, I still very much appreciate feedback! So, if you have a general thought on how I'm doing here, just drop a quick review to let me know how you feel! If you have a question or just wish to check in and see how far along I am on the next chapter, feel free to PM me! I get it in an email almost immediately and I ALWAYS reply! Till next time guys!**


	2. The Prophecy

**What It Means**

 **AN: Hello and welcome back to 'What It Means'. I'm glad you all enjoyed the first chapter, I'm sorry It's taken so long to get this one out. As I explained to someone through my PM, I had a good friend of mine pass away about a month ago which halted a lot of my motivation for anything. But I took the time to grieve and recollect myself and now I'm back. I thank you for your patience and understanding in advance.**

 **Now, this chapter isn't as long as the first one. For the sake of consistent updates going further, I'd say expect chapters around this length. I've got a lot on my plate with work, finals, and my social life, so to work my fanfiction writing in there, this is going to be about how long each chapter needs to be. I am grateful to everyone who has dropped a review of encouragement or advice. It is all well appreciated. If you've got any personal questions for me, please PM me, I reply to everyone. Thank you and enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

(An hour later)

Tatsumaki sat on her couch alone in the dark with only the light from the television to accompany her. She had a box of tissues next to her and that unopened bottle of cough medicine. A stupid purchase that she didn't even need. It was just so she could buy the candy apples without being questioned about her stuffy look. She flew all the way to City-Y because of a monster report and yet, when she arrived it was so weak, she dropped it in seconds. Rather underwhelming really. She's been itching for a good battle all day, despite her injuries. All for the purpose of trying to stop her pointless tears.

Most of the other heroes were resting up somewhere from yesterday's battle, but she was far too distraught to let her worries go unappeased. After their meeting earlier in the day, she had went home. She had shut herself into the seclusion of her apartment away from prying eyes. The reason honestly being so she could show that side of her she promised she would never show… not even to herself. As hard as she tried to hold it in during their meeting, she couldn't act normal for too long without breaking down.

The news hit her like a punch to the gut from the Sea King. It's been two years. Two long and hopeful years of her waiting for him to return. Every big disaster that took place, no matter what the scale, she'd always hold off on it for a moment in hopes of drawing him out. Shamefully, she allowed a lot more destruction in her venture to see Blast again than was necessary, but never any deaths. All of that for what exactly? He's been dead for two years, so her efforts were just the arrogant wishes of a child.

He's dead. He is dead, and he didn't even care to have her informed. He's probably buried somewhere by now. Rotting away in the ground and she didn't even get to say goodbye. They were friends, as far as she was concerned. Despite what he told her, they were friends. Other than her sister, that was the only other friend she needed. What good is having a friend who is weak? It only holds you back. That's why they were friends. Because he was strong, and she is… so is she, right? Or was she just holding him back?

Despite her faith in herself, she couldn't hold a candle to Blast's power. No one could. He was the number 1 hero for a reason. He was that pinnacle of hope everyone relied on. The light within even the blackest of darkness. A flicker of light that would forever burn, no matter what happened. That's what he was supposed to be forever, and yet he hasn't been that for 2 years… what's more, now everyone expects her to be that!

But… she couldn't.

Facing the Sea King yesterday was proof enough that she was not invincible. If the person who shot that rock wasn't there, they'd all be dead right now. She was going to die, and she needed someone to save her. That is something that she would never like to admit aloud, but she didn't have to. She knew it. Hell, the other S-Class heroes knew it as well now. In that moment, she was weak. She was fragile and hopeless, just like she was all those years ago when _he_ came to save her. Then, he told her not to rely on anyone… because it's not always a guarantee that someone will be there to rely on.

She's lived by that for so many years now. But… but it never felt truer than it does right now. With Blast gone, if she's ever put in that position again, she may as well count herself out and the world along with it. That's the thing about being the strongest. When something stronger comes along to oppose you, everyone's eyes turn towards you as if you're the only thing standing between that monster and their deaths.

Looking down at the Candy apple resting in her lap, she was shocked when something dripped onto it. She widened her eyes, bringing her free hand up to her face to feel the river of tears that had begrudgingly began to fall before she even realized. "Damn it." She muttered, wiping them away in irritation. When she composed herself, she lifted her gaze up to the television which was on a talk show, the guest being Sweet Mask who was talking about Blast. More importantly the talk of himself possibly moving up to S-Class and what rank he should be. It didn't matter to her. What mattered was the picture they had up on the screen. A rather blurry shot of the man on her mind, Blast, in his last battle against Elder Centipede.

'… Why would you leave me?' she thought freely, for that moment, not even caring how weak she must have seemed. She could feel a lump welling up in her throat and her face began to contort. It was clear to her that she was just on the verge of balling her eyes out. As unlucky as she is, that's the moment her front door began to open. Before she even knew who it was, she used her power to slam it shut, far harder than she meant to, cracking the wall next to it. "g-.." She stopped, for a moment not trusting her voice. "GO AWAY!" she yelled to whoever it was as she vigorously rubbed her tears away.

"… Tatsumaki?" A muffled feminine voice called out from the hall, just loud enough for her to hear who it was.

She shut her eyes in an attempt to further suffocate those stupid tears from falling further. "Go away Fubuki." She called out, much softer. As if she knew she wouldn't Tatsumaki rose from her spot and floated into her bathroom.

Just as she did, the door opened again. A much more voluptuous woman with darker chin-length green hair (nearly black) came walking in rather timidly. She was dressed in a tight dark green dress that matched her hair and looked very expensive, an equally expensive looking white fur coat draped across her shoulders. Her attire was very elegant and professional looking, but her visage didn't exactly match. She looked worried, maybe a bit somber. She looked around the dark condo diffidently. Her eyes instinctively drawn to the only thing she could see, being the television, which was still on… and then to the empty couch.

"Tatsumaki?" She called out again. She gently shut the door behind her and went further in until she could see the light from beneath the bathroom. With a very sad sigh, as if she expected this much, she walked over. Hesitantly, she knocked on the wooden door ever so slightly. There was no reply. "… Are you okay?" She asked pointlessly. ". . . Tatsu-.."

"I'm fine, Fubuki." The voice of her sister cut her off before she could ask anything else. "I'm fine, jus-… I'm just sick!" She called out.

An obvious lie that Fubuki didn't have to see her to know. She did not relent in her efforts to comfort her. "Could you… could you come out?" No reply for a moment. Now she felt as if she were failing at the one thing a sister was meant to do in a time like this. "Please?" Her voice softened noticeably. Once again hearing no response, she was a second away from sighing and giving up when the door finally opened.

The sight she was greeted to was not something she was all that used to… Well, the rather irritated scowl was there, but the puffy eyes and button red nose were new to her. She's been crying. The Tornado of Terror – has been crying. It was something she would have never believed had she been told by someone else. More importantly, it broke her own heart. "Tatsumaki-.." She sighed out, her face not able to conceal that desperate look to comfort her. Her hand covering her own sad beating heart.

"I'm just sick, Fubuki." The smaller woman said as she floated up and passed her, heading towards her kitchen. "I'm thirsty." She muttered.

"Tatsumaki." She, yet again, called out.

"Do you want a drink?" She asked, trying hard to ignore whatever it was she was trying to do.

Fubuki followed her with very uncertain steps, watching her as if she would fall apart at any given moment. "I am - truly - sorry about Bla-.."

"Hey… are you still hanging around with those B-Class losers?" She asked, her voice set in a rather insipid pitch. Before she could respond, she continued talking. "There's an opening in S-Class because of that idiot King being outed as a fraud… if Sweet Mask doesn't move up, I can put in a good word for you."

Still determined to keep up that tough façade of hers, Tatsumaki turned around with her eyes shut and a bottle of water in her hands as she floated back towards her couch. As if she knew Fubuki was going to say something, she quickly cut her off and continued. "i-..

"I think it'll be good for you Fubuki. If you keep associating with people as weak as them, you will only become weaker and weaker. You need to learn to stand on your own two feet. That little group of yours won't always be around to bail you out of - tough spots."

Fubuki watched as she retook her seat on the couch, picking up the candy apple she was previously eating. Normally, she would defend her group of subordinates, but seeing her like this was – unsettling, so to speak. She walked over, taking a seat next to her. She gazed at the side of her face and watched as she tried to discretely sniffle away that trail of tear induced snot trying to run out her nose before she relented and used a tissue next to her.

Not truly sure what to say now, she turned her somber look towards the television and watched her flip through the channels carelessly. ". . . Maybe if you ask – they'll tell you where his grave is." She suggested with a slightly uplifting tone that didn't come out as hopeful as she was looking for.

". . ." Tatsumaki remained silent, still flipping through the channels, desperately praying that lump at the back of her throat would die out. In an effort to force it to do so, she inhaled deeply before exhaling a very choppy sigh she begrudgingly felt bring more tears to the brim of her eyes.

". . . Maybe that c-.." Fubuki stopped herself when those words came out a lot less confident than she intended. Shaking those fears away, she finished. "- could – give you some closure." She watched in worry as the channels stopped flipping, landing on an infomercial. Looking once again at the side of her older sister's face, her heart beat painfully within her chest as she watched a tear trickle down her cheek and her head slowly lower. "t.. Tatsumaki?" She called out to her, placing a hand on her forearm for support.

"He didn't-.." She muttered, her mask of indifference now all but broken as she could feel her lips quivering. "I didn't even get to say goodbye…" With those painful words finally spoken aloud, she couldn't hold it back anymore as the dam holding back her ocean of tears finally broke along with a painful laughing scream that Fubuki had never heard from her before.

On instinct, Fubuki reached over and pulled her into her chest for an embracive hug. She's never seen her like this. What's more, they were far more connected than most due to their powers. If Tatsumaki were in the heat of battle, she could feel it. When she was on the brink of death and desperation yesterday, she could feel it. She was used to feeling her fight. She wasn't too used to that desperation, but she has felt it before. But, this… this was something she had never felt from her and her own pain became as real as her older sisters.

* * *

(The next morning)

Saitama sat casually on his couch, watching the television with a plain look on his face. The sound of Genos preparing some kind of breakfast was all but lost on him. The news was on, displaying a reporter out in what seemed to be a very dangerous looking situation. Screaming people ran by the woman who was clearly trying to hold her composure and do her job as best she could with the devastation directly behind her.

'As you can see, it is absolute pandemonium here in City-F with the appearance of a new monster which appears to be a meager Demon level threat. Something that could be easily handled by one of the S-Class heroes, but most, if not, all of them are still recovering from their injuries sustained during the Sea-King attack, so this matter is currently resting in the hands of three A-Class hero-..'

Zoning out of his lazy daze, Saitama looked over his shoulder back at his cybernetic student. "Uh, Genos." He called out.

The man in question turned towards him curiously, still displaying that ever present look of udder seriousness. "Yes master?"

"There is an attack in City-… one of the cities. It looks pretty bad." He said, pointing back towards the television.

The robotic man seemed surprised. Clearly, he hadn't been listening. But, even so… "But, Sensei. I haven't finished preparing your meal. The recipe requires strict attention to the time limit needed to adequately heat each and every item to its recommended temperature."

Saitama seemed confused for a moment. "o-.. Oh…" Before he could think of something else to say, the reporter caught their attention.

'-and just like that, the Tornado of Terror has done the impossible! Saving the day yet again! This is yet another victory for her as she has been on an absolute rampage against these attacking foes. As of the reveal of Blast's death, this is her 59th victory and it doesn't look like she'll be slowing down anytime soon!'

"Well, never mind then. Someone else got it." Saitama replied, going back to lazily watching the television.

Genos nodded. "I see." Silence settled in for a moment with the cybernetic man thinking hard on a dilemma. A few minutes later, having finished with his cooking, he set the table for the bald man who slumped over and began eating. Genos watched him for a few moments, a strange look on his visage as if he were trying to understand him in a way. Eventually, he called out to him. "Master Saitama. Please, forgive me for disturbing you as you eat, but I have a question."

Saitama glanced up curiously. "Hm? What is it?" He asked casually.

Genos held no filter when it came to these matters, so he spit it out without hesitation. "Why do you not wish to be a hero anymore?" He questioned. Before Saitama could answer, he expanded on his inquiry. "You originally told me that it was no longer fun. I have been thinking over this for quite some time. I do not mean to disrespect you master, but I do not see how working at a corner store is more exciting."

Saitama took a second or two to quickly chew and forcefully swallow his recent mouth full before he thought on his answer. "Hmm…" He hummed in thought, looking up towards the ceiling as if the answer were going to be written there. "Well, it's not really for the excitement of it. I suppose they are both as equally dull… Hmm… Maybe it is because it's supposed to be boring." He hypothesized.

Genos looked at him intently. "I see. So, because you are so powerful, you are always defeating your villains with a single punch which leaves you disappointed. As a cashier worker, your job is exactly as expected." Genos said, essentially reiterating what he heard just a second before.

"Umm.. Yeah, I guess." Saitama replied, continuing his meal.

"If that is the case, why not search for a villain strong enough to face you?" Genos proposed.

With a mouthful of food, Saitama answered. "That sounds like too much work. Besides, if I go looking for trouble like that, wouldn't it simply make me the villain?" He asked.

Genos put his finger to his chin in thought. "Of course. There would be no way to tell if they are a villain or not unless they are presently wreaking havoc on civilians."

Saitama gulped down his drink, finishing with a satisfied sigh. "Yeah. I think I'll just keep working at the gas station. Maybe my power level will go down enough to make being a hero fun again." He said.

Genos smiled at that but didn't reply verbally. 'I do not think that will ever happen. Cutting an infinite source in half still lives an infinite source. You will forever be the strongest person I have ever known.'

Saitama continued to eat, not in the slightest concerned with the small silence that settled in. Eventually, he ate the last of it and sat back with a satisfied sigh. "That was a great meal. Thank you. I should probably get ready for work now." With that, he stood up and headed for his room to retrieve his uniform.

That's when Genos remembered something important. "Master, I have forgotten to inform you of something very important." He said somewhat urgently.

Having already made it to the room, Saitama peaked back to him. "What is it? Can you talk while I get ready?"

"Yes, Master. At our meeting yesterday, there was a final prophecy given by the great seer, Madam Shibabawa, who died choking on a cough pill." He explained.

Saitama simply raised an eyebrow but continued to get ready.

"She has previously predicted many catastrophe's and has had a 100% accuracy rate. Her final prediction is that the earth itself is in danger. We S-Class heroes were told to remain vigilante for a major attack that is supposedly happening within the next 6 months." He informed him.

Saitama stepped out of his room wearing his work pants a plain white T-shirt, his actual work shirt was slung across his shoulder as he zipped his pants up. His expression remained casually uninterested. "Within the next 6 months?" He questioned curiously. "That's pretty broad. That could mean in a month, a week, or even a few minutes." He said. "She's not a very good fortune teller."

Genos looked at him again with surprise and realization present within his intense eyes. "Master, you are right. I foolishly believed I would have time to become stronger before the attack." Quickly he rose from his seat and made his way in front of Saitama, bowing down on his knee like a knight standing before the king. "Thank you for informing me of my mistake, Master Saitama!" he yelled out.

The bald man simply looked down at him curiously. "Oh, uh.. yeah. Sure. Lock the door if you leave." He said, stepping around him and heading for the door.

Standing up, Genos watched the man he admired more than anyone put his shoes on. There was no one more wise than the man he pledged his studies to. Master Saitama was truly a blessing to him. When he shut the door behind him, Genos looked around for something to do before a sudden rumble shook the ground beneath him. It was then did his ears tune into the report happening on the television. With the lag of the broadcast, he watched footage of what looked like a ship hovering over a city. Reading the report that slid across the screen, it said: "Threat Level: DRAGON, City A Under Attack, All Residents In Neighboring Cities Find A Shelter Immediately'.

On the screen, the camera was panning just slightly, but it could never seem to get the entire ship in view. Then, that's when he saw it. The lights beneath the ship suddenly flashing. Then, he realized the bombs it was dropping. As that happened, an update flashed on the screen: UPDATE: THREAT LEVEL: GOD. The bombs smacked down on the ground, causing an incredible flash of an explosion which likely caused that rumble he felt earlier though it felt a lot closer. The camera fizzled out into static, cutting his view off there.

'A god level threat? This must be the prophecy. Just as Master Saitama said!' He thought as he rushed out the house. Before he leapt away, he thought back to his Master's words and turned back, shutting the door and using the key he was given to lock it. He jumped away and took to the sky with his thrusters. Saitama was headed for the entrance of City Z. For a moment, he considered heading right over to inform him, but with the conversation they just had, he decided against it. If this was the prophecy, then the other S-Class heroes would likely be joining him… but, if it is another case such as the Sea-King, then it would be wise to grab him now to save everyone the trouble. '… No, Master Saitama is no longer a hero! If we in the S-Class rely too much on him, we will never grow!' With that, he increased his speed, heading for City A as fast as possible. "Master! I can do this! I will become stronger!" he proclaimed aloud.

* * *

(1 min ago)

On his way to work, Saitama was completely oblivious to the devastating attack. Being in City Z where everyone pretty much up and left, there wasn't a person in sight to warn him about it either. Aside from the sudden rumble he felt a moment ago, it was just like any other trip to his normal everyday commute. That is until…

"I've finally found you."

Saitama came to a slow stop at the voice. It sounded sort of familiar. "Hm?" He looked up to the building that was just on the other side of the gate that separated the two cities. "Oh, hey." He said casually. "… Do you need something?"

"Yes… yes, I do… I need you to DIE!" The person threw something his way.

With a pinch of his middle and pointer finger, he caught it before it impaled his eye. "Hm?" He hummed in thought as he examined the projectile. It was some kind of strange knife. One that he was sure he had seen before. "Why did you throw this at me? Oh, wait.. have we met before?" He asked curiously.

"Yes… yes we have… Saitama." He said, spewing his name out like it was venom on his tongue. "I would think you'd recognize me by now."

With the knowledge of having met this person before, Saitama was hard pressed to remember his name. Looking at his get up, it was definitely ringing some kind of belt. 'Okay, skin tight black suit, purple scarf, innocent smile..'

The man stared him down with a crooked smile that was the furthest thing from innocent.

"… Oh-! It's you, you're uh… speed o' man er'… lost and found or-.. Jack o' Lantern Panic!" he tried, thinking he was successful on his last guess which he previously called him.

'WE'VE MET TWICE' the man mentally screamed. Through gritted teeth, he simply gave it to him. "Speed o' Sound Sonic!"

"Oh right. Hey." He said, glad to be out of that situation.

"I've been looking for you for quite some time Saitama… today is the day you finally fall at my blade. That rumble from earlier was all I needed to find you. No one but you could have caused such a devastating blow. I had searched every city other than that dead-zone of a waste land. It makes sense that a monster like you would reside in such a-…" he stopped talking when he realized he was no longer there.

"Sorry, I've got to go to work." Saitama threw over his shoulder as he continued on.

For a moment Sonic thought back to their second meeting. This was almost déjà vu. 'Trying to escape me again, Saitama?' He jumped up and towards the path right in front of him. When he hit the ground, he rushed him with his sword in hand, ready to split him in half along his waist. "I will not let you escape!"

Saitama jumped up and passed him, avoiding the strike with ease. "Hey, what's your problem?" Saitama asked. "You shouldn't practice with someone who's in a rush. I told you. I have work."

Sonic's eyes zoned in. 'Work, huh? There must be something big going down.' He was ignorant to the clothes he wore it seemed as he still thought Saitama was associated with the Hero Organization. "I noticed the civilians scrambling to their little shelters. It must be something big their running from. No matter, if I want you to fight me, all I've got to do is stir up some trouble, right? Well, in that case, try THIS!" he yelled as he jumped into the air, spinning violently as he did so, throwing out his exploding kunai in every way he could, destroying shops and houses.

Saitama watched him curiously, side-stepping the kunai that came his way with ease, not even caring to take his hands out his pockets. 'The bunkers? What's he talking about?'. That's when he looked around and noticed how barren it looked. He was definitely out of city Z, so where are all the people?

Sonic finished his attack and landed on a nearby building that was still standing. He cackled like a mad man, staring at his rival with nothing but bloodlust leaking from his demented grin. "HEH-HEH-HEH! How bout it, Saitama!? Does THIS warrant your attention!?" he asked as he flung another at the building directly behind the casually dressed baldy who jumped away from the falling debris. "If you won't fight me, then maybe I should go and pay those little civilians a visit in the bunker, huh!?"

"Okay." Saitama said, walking away. "Just don't do anything bad." He advised as he continued on. 'Maybe there is an attack going on. I should make sure they locked the shop up properly.

Speed o' Sound Sonic was seething with rage. "Saitama… you… BASTARD!" he yelled as he leapt down to the ground, heading for a dead sprint towards him. "If you won't fight me, then just die already!"

With a sigh of irritation, Saitama turned around to face him with a blank expression. 'I really don't have time to practice today. Guess if I make it quick, he'll leave me alone.'

Seeing his casually bored face only made Sonic angrier. "You… I'LL KILL YOU!"

(BAM!)

"… … Hm?" Saitama was confused as he looked at Sonic's body implanted in the wall next to him, the look on his face saying he was out of commission. He didn't even get close enough to touch him. "Sonic?" He called out. "What happened, did you trip?"

"What are you doing out here!?"

Yet another familiar voice called out to him. Looking to its source, it was yet again, another familiar face. "Oh.. Hey." He said casually, staring up at the kid who came to the store the night before. "Kirashima or something, right?" he questioned.

Tatsumaki stared down at him with an irritated expression, not only at the wrong name, but just irritated by the confusing situation itself. She had just been informed of a God level threat after she dealt with a monster who had been lurking in City Z. And now, on her way, she sees this man about to be butchered by a villain. This was out of the way, but from where she was flying, it looked like that ninja guy was taking advantage of the situation to attack random civilians. Instead, it's just this man.

"To you, it's Tornado. Get to a bunker. You're not safe out here." She said, preparing to take off.

"Hm? Is something happening?" Saitama asked, stopping her before she went too far.

She looked back to him. "It's none of your concern! I'm a hero, and I'm telling you to get to a bunker, so do as you're told!" she demanded.

"Oh… Okay then." He said, heading for the one that was by his store. There was really no reason he couldn't just go home. It's not like he would die, but if the power was out, he'd have no way of knowing what is going on and nothing to do, really.

Tatsumaki watched him walk away for a moment before she continued on her way to City A. He was definitely a strange character.

* * *

 **AN: There you go guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Just as a quick question to hear from some of you: Are you following season 2? If so, what do you think of the new studio's art style? Personally, I don't mind either way, though I will admit there is a drastic difference in the fighting animation. I much prefer season 1 in that regard, but I enjoy OPM more for the story than the visuals anyways.**


	3. The Invasion (part 1): Stand Alone

**What It Means**

 **AN: Welcome back. Here's chapter 3. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Saitama made it to the bunker near his store after checking to ensure everything was locked. He stood staring up at the metal doors curiously. How was he supposed to get in? "Uh… hello?" he called out, knocking on the door a few times. With seemingly no answer, he went to knock again before the sound of the doors mechanics at work stopped him. It opened up to the sight of guys who had to be heroes if their clothes were anything to go by.

[Class C, Rank 1, Mumen Rider]

"What are you still doing out there? Come in, quickly." The man in the strange orange get up said urgently, rushing him in. "Was there anyone else out there?"

Saitama was very confused by the urgency.

[Class C, Rank 13, Tank Top Tiger]

"I doubt it, dude was probably stuck on the toilet when the alert came in." He hypothesized baselessly.

"On the toilet?" Saitama questioned.

"It doesn't matter. I'm glad you made it here safely. Please, stand by and wait for the matter to be resolved." Mumen Rider said kindly. "I'm sure with the combined power of the S-Class, A-Class, and B-Class as support, it won't take too long."

'Huh, that sure is a lot of heroes. There must be a really strong monster.' He thought as he walked further in, his senses flooded with the amount of people crammed within. There had to be hundreds of men, women, and children packed inside this dome, stretching back all the way to the backwall, and even more on the next floor above. There was so much chattering going on, it reminded him of the cafeterias from back in school.

With nothing to do and really no one to speak to, he simply looked around before seeing a bench off to the side. Luckily, it was next to the corridor that led to the bathroom, so if he had to go, he didn't have to push his way through the crowd to do so. Sitting down, he looked up to the television screen that was displaying the battle, or most of it at least.

On the screen, the camera (positioned on the helicopter) had its sights set on a battle involving many of the S-Class heroes standing against some kind of tall, dark, clay skinned creature with two faces. There were a few A & B-Class heroes mixed in as well, for support. It seemed the heroes were simply tiring out too fast to have any effect. It brought panic to many of the civilian viewers. The creature simply regenerated, no matter what they did to it. He'd been sliced and diced by both Atomic Samurai and Bang, he'd been brutally pummeled by an unnecessarily nude Puri-puri Prisoner, and yet he was still standing good as new. What more could be done?

"Oh man." Said a civilian man standing in front of Saitama with his group of friends. "What the hell is that thing?"

"Are you stupid? It came from space. It's some kind of alien." Said another.

"I know that." The man replied in irritation. "It looks strong… maybe too strong. That's almost all of the S-Class heroes fighting that thing."

"Yeah? So? Just wait till tornado gets there. She'll wipe the floor with those freaks."

"Yeah… I sure hope so… but.. what if that's not the boss?"

"What?"

The young man took a moment to think it over. "I mean… you've played alien video games before. The boss never comes out first. Usually, they send a strong right-hand man first. After you beat him, you go on to beat some other small fry, maybe one more strong one, and then you face the boss who's like… ridiculously strong."

"This isn't a game, you idiot. This is real life. Besides, it's Tornado. She's never lost to a monster, not even once."

"w-well.. what about the Sea-King? Some say she denies being the one that took it out. I mean, she had been hitting that thing with everything she had before she drained out. How c-.."

"That was just her distracting it, dumbass. She was charging up all of her power into that pebble and waiting for that Sea-Freak to let it's guard down. Her looking beat up was all an act."

"I don't know… seemed real to me."

Saitama listened with very little interest. In a room so large, all of the voices were jumbled. They were just close enough to catch his ear.

"They sure sound desperate, huh?" A voice next to him caught his ear.

"Hmm?" He looked over to see the rather big man wearing the tiger striped tank-top with his arms folded over his chest. Was he finished with guard duty? "Tch. For all of our sake, I hope what they're sayin' about Tornado is true… I hope she can take these things out. If not, then that's pretty much it for us, isn't it?" he said.

'… Is he talking to me? Or is he just thinking out loud?' Saitama thought, looking at him strangely.

"I know big bro is out there now… fighting for us, but… maybe not even he can… no.. no Bro can handle himself no problem. These things don't stand a chance! Oh man, maybe I should rally the other tank tops and go help out however we can…" His eyes glanced up towards the screen to see the battle that was still going on. "… Nah… we'd just get in the way." He admit truthfully. "Shame… I bet there are some pretty strong opponents there… sounds like fun…"

'Okay, he's definitely talking to himself. He's not even muttering.' Saitama thought with a creeped out look on his face. That's when he thought back to what he was saying. 'Some pretty strong opponents huh?' … …

"i-It's her!" A voice called out in front of them, drawing the tank-top tiger's attention. "It's Tornado!" a round of applause flooded the area as they watched the green glowing woman stop a barrage of those deathly bombarding missiles in mid-air.

"Ohoh!" Tank-Top Tiger chuckled out as he looked at the screen. "They are in for it now! Watch closely, little dude, cause y-.." He stopped talking when he realized the bald man he took a seat next to was already gone. "Oh… I guess I'm talking to myself."

* * *

Tornado watched the massive ship not even buckle when she sent the barrage of missiles back. For some reason, she could feel an incredible presence coming from within there. Perhaps another psychic. It felt about right, but she couldn't be certain. She hadn't felt another other than her sister for quite some time. Looking down at the battle the other heroes were fighting, she grew somewhat annoyed.

"How long are you all gonna play with that pile of mud!? We've got bigger problems here, so hurry it up!" she demanded.

"We're working on it, you little brat!" Atomic Samurai spit out in frustration. "In the meantime, why don't you do something about that ship?"

"Obviously! What do you think I'm doing!?" She spat back. "Just kill that thing and get inside HQ or something. You're in the way."

"Why, you little-!" Metal Bat muttered out before he was stopped by Bang who put his hand up.

"Understood. We will make this quick and clear out of the way." He said, more so to the others rather than Tatsumaki.

She looked at the old man for a second before floating up and away. Getting some distance, she looked around at all of the useful rubble. For the meantime, she could damage as much of the bottom as possible until the others got clear. The fact that HQ was still standing was all she needed. She'd just drop a meteor on this thing and destroy everything inside. Yeah. Them piling up in a ship like this and not dispersing any ground forces was simply making her job easier. It'd be a clean sweep.

It wouldn't be like last time.

'Hmph. Piece of cake.' She thought.

That's what she thought, yeah… but… there was a sliver of doubt that accompanied that heavy proclamation. That feeling from earlier. It was reason for doubt. She truly felt some sense of dread. That of which she had never felt before. Regardless. If she couldn't do this, then they were done for . . . That's right… she's the last line of defense.

…

Whether they survived this invasion or not… it's all on her.

'… y-.. yeah… piece of cake.' She thought, a little less certain than before.

* * *

Saitama flushed the urinal and zipped his pants. He was luckily able to slip away from that weirdo tiger guy during the commotion of the applause. He wasn't exactly sure what they were applauding, but it was a great excuse to get out of that awkward situation. The only question was what to do now though. He didn't really feel like listening to some weirdo talk to himself all day.

He walked out the bathroom and headed back down the hall. To his luck/dismay, the Tiger guy was gone, but his bench was now claimed by others. No biggie. He was sure he could find another seat somewhere. Walking around aimlessly, he all but ignored the murmuring of the surrounding citizens and lower-class heroes, all looking towards the screens in anticipation.

Most were all but reassured with the presence of Tornado, but there was still a large portion who saw it as nothing more than a slowing of the inevitable. They had never seen a catastrophe of this magnitude. This was beyond the level of the Sea King by a mile, and Tornado was brutally defeated back then before she dealt that final blow. (the popular belief) Would she try the same thing here? She's been throwing around discarded ruble of buildings for some time now and it hasn't seemed to have an effect on the ship in the slightest. Maybe this was too much for even her. With no Blast, there was only one outcome that they could see here.

Oblivious to all of these conflicting views, Saitama continued on aimlessly weaving through the mass of people until finally, he caught sight of a free spot on a bench towards the back wall. Hoping it wasn't occupied or saved, he made his way towards it. Once he broke through the crowd, he saw that the other end was in fact occupied by a young girl who seemed to be dressed for the occasion. She wasn't much older than eight years old. Her attire was the essence of a super fan to its truest extent. A black shirt, bright green pants, and oddly enough, green highlights in her hair. On her shirt, a very professionally done design of the small woman who was currently fighting for the fate of their world. (not that Saitama was aware). Her mother sat beside her, speaking diligently with the woman on the bench next to theirs.

Assuming the seat was free, he walked over and sat down. He partially expected the little girl to tell him she was saving the seat for her dad or something, but she didn't seem interested in him at all, so he carried on, sticking to himself. For a while, he simply sat there, pulling one of the magazines on the table next to him, still not very interested in what was happening on the screen.

The little girl watched her favorite hero with the most perfect representation of an awestruck face she could muster, gaping mouth and all. Her unblinking eyes were plastered on the most visible screen before her. With hands clenched in front of her, holding onto the little plushy version of the heroine. For a while that was how they remained until the girl finally spoke.

"Wow… so, cool." She muttered out in a hushed tone of awe, drawing Saitama's attention.

"Hmm?" he voiced, thinking she was talking to him.

"Tornado is the best!" she shouted out. "I wish I could be an esper too! That would be so cool! Then, I'd have really cool powers and help everyone! I could send bad guys flying no problem!"

At this point, he figured she was talking to herself, much like that Tiger weirdo, but since she's a kid, it was a little less strange to see, so he went back to his casual page flipping. For another few seconds, that was how they remained. Eventually, he was interrupted once more by the girl's voice.

"Aww! I hate when they switch it!?" She whined out.

He glanced over to her and tracked her line of sight to the television that was now displaying the battle between the rest of the heroes and the clay-like creature that they just couldn't seem to defeat. Well, that didn't seem to be the case anymore. There were less faces on the creature now, so they must have figured something out. Losing interest in that as well, he went back to his lackluster reading material.

The little girl next to him quickly lost interest without her favorite hero on screen. It was interesting seeing the others, but without it being Tornado, she became a little more aware of her surroundings, specifically her mom still talking and the strange bald guy sitting on her other side. What drew her attention was without a doubt the ridiculous light that bounced off his head. She giggled at how shiny it was. "Ehehe!"

Saitama glanced over on instinct with the sound directed straight at him. He was now staring down at the little girl who was smiling at him for some reason. ".. uh… Hello." He said casually.

"… Your head is funny." She replied, with that child-like innocence that was void of hesitation.

Saitama cringed at the sudden insult. He quickly calmed down soon after, rationalizing that this was a kid. She didn't know any better. "Well, there are a lot of people that are bald." He said.

"Yeah, old people." She said.

He cringed again, much harder, gritting his teeth in irritation. "Well, actually some young people too. I'm not old."

"My grandpa even has hair. He's like a hundred." She continued on.

At this point, he just left it alone with a sigh of disappointment. "Yeah. Well… I'm stuck like this." He said.

"Why? What happened to all your hair?"

"I trained so hard it fell out." He admit truthfully.

She made a funny face as if she didn't believe him. "What?" Her amusement was very much present. "Train for what?" She asked.

"Oh, I used to be a hero." He said.

She looked at him strangely, sizing him up. "You were a hero?" He nodded. "… How come I don't recognize you? You don't look familiar."

"Well, I was only a hero for a few months." He admit.

"Did you get fired?" She asked, continuing her stream of questions with little to no hesitation.

"No. I quit." He said.

She seemed shocked by that, if only a little. "What? You quit? Why would you want to quit being a hero?"

He shrugged in reply. "I don't know. It was kind of boring is all." He said.

"Boring!? There's no way… I bet you were just weak." She said. "You just couldn't fight any strong monsters because you would get beaten up real bad. That's why you quit. What class were you anyways?"

"Class C."

"Uh-huh! See, I knew it! You were just scared!" She said.

"I wasn't!" he called back. "I told you, I just started!"

"Yeah right, you big baldy! You're just a scaredy cat! One of those hairless ones, because you're bald!"

"I'm bald, so what!?" he called out furiously.

"So, you could never be a super cool hero!" Just as she said this, the camera went back to Tatsumaki, making the surrounding crowd cheer at seeing their last hope for survival still barraging the massive ship with huge chunks of glowing debris. "Every cool hero has cool hair! Just like Tornado! She's the coolest! I want to be as strong as her one day! That's why my mommy does my hair like hers everyday! She won't let me dye the whole thing though, but that's okay! One day when I'm big and strong I'm gonna do it like that!"

Saitama calmed down amidst the cheering barrage, watching the shine in this girl's eyes. He reminisced the days when he admired heroes in such a way. Long before when being a hero was truly just a hobby. Before the hero association made it a profession that anyone physically capable enough to pass the try-outs could become. That's when he looked to the little girls shirt and truly recognized who she was talking about. Squinting his eyes a bit, he was sure he had seen that girl before…

"Oh!" he said, drawing the girl's attention again. "I know her. I just saw her outside."

Understandably, the little girl's eyes lit up with a light that he hadn't seen yet. "Uh!" She gasped.  
"You met the Tornado of Terror!?"

"Yeah. Or.. I think I did. Is she a little girl who glows green and floats in the air?" He asked stupidly, not even aware that he was literally describing the woman at center-focus on every screen in the building.

"SHE'S-NOT-A-LITTLE-GIRL-YOU-STUPID-EGG-HEAD! SHE'S-A-GROWN-WOMAN-WHO-DO-YOU-THINK-YOU-ARE-DISRESPECTING-THE-STRONGEST-HERO-TO-EVER-EXSIST-YOU-OCTOPUSS-LIGHTBULB-BOWLING-BALL-STUPID-HEAD-!" Her string of insults hurled at his abnormally hairless-head flew out with a velocity he was sure reminded him of someone. Her words were so closely woven together and spoken so quickly he could barely catch any of it.

'Huh… getting a weird vibe of Déjà vu.' He thought.

To his dismay, the crowd of surrounding people were once again cheering at something on the screen, covering the girl's voice from anyone but him as she was directly in her ear. "Alright-alright." He said, finally glancing up at the screen to see what the commotion was about. To his surprise, it was someone he DID know. It was that old guy Genos was occasionally talking to, Boom, if he remembered. (he didn't) His clothes were in tatters, the only thing on his body being his pants and shoes. He stood next to the crumbling man they had been facing with some sort of marble in his hand. With a strong pinch of his fingers, he crushed it, inciting more cheers. "Hmm? Did they win?" He asked curiously.

Just as he said this, an announcement was made over the bunker-wide intercom:

 _[Through a group effort, the S-Class heroes were able to finally dispatch one of the enemy's monsters. It has not been confirmed yet, but it is believed that this creature was the leader of the enemy force. Now, all that is left is for Tornado to deal with the enemy's ship. Cities T-Z have been cleared of the immediate threat zone. It is advised that we all remain in a bunker. However, if at this time you wish to rejoin family in another bunker, you are cleared to do so. We ask that anyone doing so move towards the exit in an orderly fashion now and head straight for the bunker you wish to be. Thank you.]_

"Ah, wonderful." The woman sitting on the other side of the little girl said, standing up. "Come along Mina. We have to join up with Grandma and Papa in the other bunker." She said, taking the little girl's hand.

"Okay!" She said, standing up, latching onto her mother's outstretched hand.

Saitama thought it over for a moment. He didn't really have anyone to join up with. There wasn't anything in particular he had to do today aside from work. 'hmm… guess I'll just go home.'

* * *

Tatsumaki glanced down at the other S-Class heroes who were all standing around, relishing in their hard-fought victory. With an irritated scowl, she continued hurling things up towards the ship. "Hey! If you're done with your pathetic little fight, then get lost! You're all in the way!" she said.

Most of them, aware of Tatsumaki's true strength began doing just that, but perhaps being still somewhat of a new face, one did not.

Genos stepped towards her with an incredulous look. "It would not be wise to leave a comrade to face such odds alone. We have fought a hard battle, but together, I believe we can help you handle the rest." He said heroically… towards no one it seemed.

"Tch, as if you glorified toaster! You're just in my way!" She reiterated. "If you want to stay, it's at your own risk!"

Genos grit his teeth at the girl's arrogance and took another step forward. He was stopped by a hand clamping down on his metallic shoulder. Turning towards the individual, it was blast who looked his way with a stern gaze. "Genos. I understand your will to improve. But, it is best to handle a situation with as little casualties as possible. We could all stay and fight, but there would be no guarantee we could all make it out alive. I think it is best we leave this to Tornado. Give her a chance to prove her position as the number 1 S-Class hero."

Gritting his teeth, he relented. "I understand."

With that, they began scrambling away. Even from the distance between them, Tatsumaki heard Bang's words. He had always been someone she respected, at least more than the others. He was like a wise-grandfather of sorts. Always having some sort of wisdom behind everything he said. But, that didn't mean he was always correct in his thought process. 'Prove myself? I don't have to prove myself to anyone.' She thought angrily. 'If they could do a better job then they can come out and do it.'

With that thought out of the way, she stopped her barrage of pelting ruble. Looking up into the sky, she squinted her eyes. There was still that feeling of dread for some reason. Whatever it was, she didn't know. It was definitely present though. It didn't matter, she'd take it out in one move, and no more.

Floating higher and higher until she was well above the ship, staring down at the top, she crossed her arms in a display of dominance and did as she's easily done before. For a moment, it seemed like nothing. Then, the meteor came into view. The green hue surrounding it leaving nothing to question.

* * *

The people watching in the bunker were absolutely floored by the display. Cheers of adoration and praise flew through the air in a bout of predetermined victory. Mina (Tornado's biggest fan) could hear the noise as she traveled through the crowded street, clutching her mother's hand. The bunker her father was in was nestled just on the outskirts of city Z. It seemed there were quite a few people headed this way. They were maybe a block away and they could see the doors of the bunker wide open. The cheers and jeers drew her interest and she just knew it was Tatsumaki doing something incredible. 'Come on, COME ON!' She mentally shouted as she and her mom continued on with the flow of the people. She kept her Tornado plushy as close to her chest as possible.

* * *

Tatsumaki watched and waited for the impact that would easily tear this ship in half. There was a building tension to this particular moment though. For some reason, it just didn't feel like this was over quite yet. There was… something… Something just wasn't right here… That's when she saw it. It came so fast that she didn't notice it until it was already ripping through the side of her own meteor. Bathed in a yellow hue instead of her green, it was much smaller, but much more damaging as it shot through like a commit, shattering her construct with ease. She gasped and put up a forcefield around herself before she was pelted with the fast flying projectiles. They were coming far too fast for her to stop them. How far would they spread? She had no way of knowing.

* * *

The shockwave of such a catastrophic blast was far greater than the blast that wiped City-A clean of all it's life. This was a deep and terribly violent rumble that shook the grounds from City-A all the way to City-Z. Saitama felt it and stopped in his tracks. He was now on his way home. He had stopped briefly by the store to ensure everything was still intact. Stores were often targeted during times like this. Luckily, this seemed to be a dangerous enough event that even the thieves and crooks were taking refuge… Which is why it was strange to see that same little girl he had been speaking to in the bunker… sitting on her butt a few feet in front of him, uncovered by the crowd he had been following just a second ago, all scrambling towards the bunker.

"Hmm?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. 'What's she doing out here? This doesn't seem like a good time to be playing.' The girl seemed to be staring up at his head in… fear?

"MINA!" Her mother yelled, running back towards her as fast as she possibly could. When she made it to her, she tried to pull her to her feet, but her eyes as well found their way to Saitama's head. Surprisingly, she had a very similar reaction, only, a lot more verbal. With a hell curdling scream, she grabbed her daughter in her arms, holding her against her body; making a break for the doors of the bunker that seemed a mile away at this point.

Confused, Saitama turned around to see what they were so afraid of. To his surprise there was a very sizeable chunk of rock headed towards them, skidding down the street like a barreling bus. It was quite a good size, to say the least. It was nowhere near as big as the one that nearly fell on City-Z all those months ago, but there is no doubt it'd do quite a bit of damage. About the size of an SUV and tumbling down the street so fast it tore the ground beneath it every time it hit it would've warranted fear from anyone else. There was no chance that woman would make it to the door with her daughter. Well, not that it mattered anyways. When he turned around it was about ten feet away from him and closing in incredibly fast.

Mina watched the bald man she had been speaking to just a few minutes ago about to be absolutely steam-rolled by the huge ball of burning rock. There was no way he was getting away from it. She wanted to look away, but for some reason, she couldn't. She was frozen in shock, probably just as he was as he made absolutely no move to run or jump away from it. He simply stood there with his hands at his sides. Those few short seconds droned out, making it feel like an eternity before it made contact, but when it did… the most amazing thing she had ever seen happened.

It hit him… it definitely hit him, but… his body didn't bend… his feet skid across the ground, implanting into the cement beneath his feet, burying him up to his ankles, but… nothing about him moved anymore than that. It looked as though he were standing on a moving side walk with this huge rock smashed into his face. Her eyes were wide open in utter shock as she watched the bald man come to a stop with the rock still implanted into the other side of his body. Her mother never stopped running towards those doors. After a minute, the rock was pushed back in the other way, toppling over. The bald man was still standing as if nothing had even happened.

'Hmm… I wonder where this came from.' Saitama thought blandly, looking at the steaming chunk. '… Oh… my work clothes got a little burnt…'

Mina couldn't believe her eyes. The most awestricken look she had shown all day overcame her face along with tears of salvation. There was no longer any confusion… He really was a hero.

* * *

Tatsumaki looked towards the ship in surprise, more importantly at the figure that emerged from an opening in the top. It was some kind of octopus looking creature with black skin and glowing eyes. It emerged tentacles first, crawling out like the creature it was before it floated up above the massive ship until they were face to face. She grit her teeth in distain. Now, there was no mistaking it. This is a powerful psychic.

"Heh.. I knew it. I could feel a strong presence from the moment we entered this atmosphere… You… you should just surrender now, girl." He said, speaking with a confidence (more like arrogance) that rivaled her own. "Time and time again, I have proven to be the strongest Psychic upon every little feeble planet we've come across."

For once, Tatsumaki didn't have the patience for banter. Visibly, her power increased, her hair turned upwards and stuck up as if a strong wind was blowing beneath her. Her glow increased to an impressive degree and her eyes were completely drenched in that green oozing power. Raising her hands, the rubble she had been previously using against the ship itself floated up passed it, now targeting her newest target.

For his part, the Octopus like creature did his own little version of powering up, his glow intensifying as well, a storm of smaller pieces of debris began swirling around him like a raging tornado. The battle of the Psychics was under way.

* * *

Within the Hero Association HQ, the rest of the S-Class heroes sat within the conference room, those who were injured receiving treatment, the others watching the screen of the battle in the sky intently. The image itself was far from being top quality. Though, that couldn't really be helped considering the distance. The sudden blast from the meteor's explosion pushed the news chopper back a bit. The high wind pressure emitting from the battle of minds was pushing them even further. It was situations like this in which the news choppers were bound to give up at one point or another when a clear shot was impossible. That would just leave them all in the dark on the happenings.

"If they cut the broadcast, we'll have no way of knowing if Tatsumaki needs assistance." Puri-Puri Prisoner commented, bringing that fact to light.

"Tch, what the hell could we do if she can't handle this?" Metal Bat questioned.

"Whatever we can." Tank-Top Hero said without hesitation. "As heroes, laying down our lives is our duty to the people. It's what's expected."

"Heh-yeah, that's when we actually stand a fighting chance." Metal Bat countered. "Going out there against that monster would be little more than suicide if he's on par with Tornado. Besides, we don't even know what else is in that ship of theirs."

"We can't sit here and let her fight this alone." Genos said, standing to his feet.

"Genos… be patient." Bang said solemnly as he was getting his torso wrapped in bandages. "There are far too many unknowns. I say we wait and trust in Tornado's powers."

"I say we don't." Another voice spoke up. This one far more mechanical than the rest. Everyone turned their attention to Metal Knight. "Child-emperor has found an opening in their ship. I have multiple combat ready bots on their way now. Those who wish to accompany can do so. We take the fight to them while Tornado keeps this leader of theirs busy."

"What makes you think that's the leader?" Atomic Samurai questioned.

Child Emperor was the one to respond. "It's just a hunch. But, from some of the video games I've played about alien invasions, that's usually how the story goes. There's a strong hold that is protected by the strongest warrior first and for most, then when there is a direct attack to the enemy base, the boss emerges to fight the strongest opponent. There are probably a lot of lesser enemies inside. I say it's in our best interest to take them out while they're in a contained location. If they touch ground and spread out, the rest of the bunkers will be in danger."

"Why the hell are we basing a real live alien invasion on video games? Does no one else see a problem with that?" Metal Bat demanded.

"Regardless, we can't all go. If they do so happen to jump ship while we're up there, there's gonna be nothing stopping them from breaching the surrounding areas." Zombieman said, entering the conversation.

"Right." Metal Knight said. "I say only those who can withstand heavy fire power go in. The other's grab the remaining A-Class and B-Class heroes still in commission and head for the border of City-A and contain the threat solely here. If anything escapes, take it down."

"Tch, yeah. Well that leaves only you and your group of death bots and… Demon Cyborg." Metal Bat said. "Is that gonna be enough to handle an entire fleet of unknown enemy creatures?"

"It may not be." Genos said in that perpetually heroically stoic tone of his. "But, if I know my master, he would want me to do nothing less than everything I can. He has trained me for this purpose. I will not back down when I am needed most."

"Well, fine then. I don't care. We better get a move on." Atomic Samurai said as he stood up. "Demon Cyborg, you watch your back in there. Everyone else, we have our task. Let's get to it."

* * *

 **AN: Hope you enjoy, blah, blah, blah.**

 **Anyways, what do you think of the second season so far? Is it stacking up to the first for you? Is it not? Let me know in the reviews.**

 **For me, it's a little of both. I generally like the slower pace of the story, whereas season 1 was just a 12 part series, still amazing, but a little disappointing once you've reached that last episode and have to wait so long for more. This season, they're really taking their time with it and just coasting on the storylines. I like it. We get more Saitama which is always a plus.**

 **The fight scenes though could use a little more build up towards that Saitama finishing punch. I feel they are so oddly placed in this season. Idk, that could just be me. In season 1 there was always this huge build up of anticipation in most of the fights where it left you wondering if Saitama had finally met his match just to absolutely destroy them with that godly power. It's those moments of excitement filled build up that put us in the shoes of Saitama really. We get to experience that disappointment when he just absolutely KO's them like it's nothing. Like I said, I don't really know yet. We're not too far in. Hopefully they pick up some gusto in these later episodes.**


	4. The Invasion (part 2): Fight Alone

**What It Means**

 **AN: Welcome back, blah, blah. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Atomic Samurai strolled casually to a good spot nestled a fair distance away from the invisible boundary that separated City-A from City-B. With him, four or five A to B-Class heroes unlucky enough to be in City-A when the attack happened. There were a few fairly strong hitters among them such as Lightning Max and Metal Ball, but not even they seemed all too sure about this little plan of theirs. He sat down on what used to be the roof of a building, now laid out among the ruble of destruction. With a sigh, he resigned to listening in on the conversations going on with the lower class heroes.

Figuring they were a fair distance away from him, they spoke freely about the plan they devised. More importantly how slapstick it seemed. They threw out things that he himself held some agreement with. Specifically, the thought that the Psychic being Tatsumaki is fighting _must_ be the leader. It was a foolish thought, without a doubt, but perhaps they made that assumption hoping it would be enough to speak into existence. From the footage they were watching, and the ridiculously vibrant light show they could somewhat make out happening atop the spacecraft, there was no doubt that thing was at least on par with Tornado. If that were the truth and there is something far greater on that ship, then their chances were even slimmer than they were before.

Most of the S-Class heroes are still fighting through the injuries of the Sea-King attack. This invasion happening so suddenly was the worst possible scenario. There wasn't a single one of them that was at full capacity, other than maybe Zombieman of course. If this were to escalate any further than it already has, there'd be no chance of survival.

The lower-classed heroes also brought to light the ridiculously slim chances that Demon Cyborg and Metal Knight could clear that massive ship of all it's underlings that were likely aboard. He also had his doubts about that as well. The ship is absolutely massive, at least the size of 8 skyscrapers lying on their sides. The creatures that have appeared have not been massive in stature by any means. If that were the case and they were the first sent out, then that would mean they must be the strongest. Not that size was always a factor, it just didn't seem likely for an invading enemy to lead with something other than a berserk giant that could clear a city in a single step. The ship definitely looked big enough to hold a few. If that wasn't the case, then it had to be filled with smaller enemies, ranging in the thousands.

The only thing that made him a little more comfortable with the idea of sending those two in particular is the knowledge of what they're both capable of. With Demon Cyborg, he's witnessed the guy clear an entire ten plus story building with a single blast. And with Metal Knight, he never had a shortage of exposable bots ready and willing to self-destruct at the push of a button. Hell, sending in a barrage of those could be the deciding factor.

Listening further, he caught the tail end of their next concern, this one being something he truly feared. The sheer thought of Tornado losing that battle was terrifying. If she succumbed to an enemy that could do what she does only better? Yeah, there was reason for worry.

Even so, this was no time to be thinking that. Glancing back at the group of lackluster heroes made him worry most. They were far from mentally prepared for something of this magnitude. They oozed fear like a sweaty sumo wrestler. As an S-Class hero, he'd like to believe he could protect them if the time came, but that in itself wasn't a hundred percent. Hell, with his injuries, he doubted he could even fully protect himself. At the most, those idiots would end up being little more than nuisances if they actually have to fight.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, his S-Class transponder link lit up, signaling an incoming com request. "What is it?" He answered in, waiting for the others to do so as well. It was Puri-Puri Prisoner who initiated the call.

"I'm not too sure about having these lower-class boys around. Although I admire their fighting spirit and cute determination, when it comes down to it, I don't see them doing anything meaningful before they're killed. That would be a waste of pretty boys." He said, essentially reiterating Atomic Samurai's worries as well... well, somewhat.

Metal Bat spoke up, giving his input. "Tch, yeah I agree. The jackasses I've got are damn near writing their goodbye letters already. They just lack the fighting spirit, I guess."

"I also must agree." Bang's wise voice spoke out. "I believe if we are to go down, they will have to be the last to defend… If that's the case, they would do well to have numbers on their side."

"Yeah. That's probably for the best. In the surrounding bunkers still intact, there are a total of 214 A to B-Class members. I guess sending them back is the most strategic move right now."

"It's fine by me." Atomic Samurai uttered. "I'm more worried about Demon Cyborg and Metal Knight right now." With all of the S-Class in agreement, they did just that, relaying the new circumstances to their respective squads, most of whom were quick to accept the offer. With the surrounding area as secure as possible, it was up to the breaching team to do its job.

* * *

Genos flowed along the stream of unmanned bots all headed towards the opening created by Tornado not too long ago. From a distance, they likely looked like a swarm of mosquitoes headed for a delicious meal. The opening was clear as day from this point. The closer they got, the louder that battle happening atop the craft sounded. They were close enough to feel the rumbles of the clashes as if they were standing on solid ground. He too held his own doubts about the success of this mission, but with every doubt came the image of his master and thoughts of what he would do in a situation like this. Backing down because of unknown risks was the last thing on that list.

'Master Saitama would rush in head-first without fear. Just like a true hero. I can't let his teachings go to waste. I will destroy every enemy I see. Without fail. If I can't then I do not deserve to call myself his disciple!"

With that thought, the bots ahead of him were finally breaching the hole. Immediately, sounds of battle broke out. Which side had the upper hand? He wasn't sure yet, but he had a good idea. Mainly tailored around the fact that robots don't scream in pain. Eventually he himself breached as well to see the decimation going on. These creatures were pitiful against Metal Knight's army of overbearing bots. They looked more like blades of grass being mowed down by a powerful lawnmower.

There was something strange about them as well. They were of all different varieties. They were vividly whacky looking aliens that were far more disturbing than they were life-threatening. It didn't matter. He was here on a purpose and he was going to see it through. No matter how many of these freaks he had to destroy for that to happen. He would make his master proud. His task seemed easy enough, though his free-flowing slaughter came to an end eventually when he was struck in the side and sent flying into the wall.

"Ergh!" he groaned out, catching his bearings. Looking for the attacker, it wasn't a creature that was very hard to miss. It was a little smaller than the Sea-King but still very physically imposing. With a green, muscular body void of any clothing, it was a daunting creature to look at. It's most prominent features were the rows of menacing teeth positioned not only on it's face, but also on it's hands, if one would call those nubs of his hands. It did not have eyes. There was also something of a spiky collar around it's neck like a dog.

"Ooh-hoo. A cyborg eh?" The creatures voice spilled out with a gleeful tone that was quite unsettling. "I'm Groribas, One of the strongest among us next to Melzargard and Geryuganshoop. I wish to know your name as well, not that it matters."

Genos did not divulge that information, choosing instead to test his reaction time with a well-placed blast that would've taken one of those lesser monster's head clean off. Groribas leapt away from it with a gleeful cackle.

"Oh, I see. You have foolishly entered the ship of the Dark Matter Thieves thinking you could walk all over us, is that it? Well, that just won't do. What move should I use against you? Hmm…"

Genos attacked again, this time going for the kill.

Groribas continued to evade before catching a break. "Hn, yes.. yes that may do." He muttered listlessly as gas began to leak from his mouths like a frothing cloud of poison.

Genos simply sunk deeper into his stance, ready for a worthy battle at last. For a moment, there was the hesitation of two fighters that respected their opponent enough to fear any sudden misstep… but only for a moment. Before Groribas could react fully, he was shot in the side from something else. Turning his head, Genos was greeted to the sight of a different bot than the ones that were bum-rushing the weaker creatures. This was likely the one Metal Knight maintained the most control over.

[Be swift, Demon Cyborg. We cannot spend too much time on a single enemy. Let us fight together.] His mechanical voice called out, much more computerized than it is when he is not in combat mode. Likely due to power constraints.

Genos had to say, Metal Knight was one of the S-Class heroes he truly admired, power-wise. Looking back to their target, he nodded. "Right!"

* * *

Atop the ship, silence was something that existed only in small moments. Moments where the two Psychics were either breaking from an attack, dodging, or headed for another. For the most part, Tatsumaki had discovered the advantages she has over this creature. Specifically, her advantage at close range. He didn't seem to like using direct blasts. It wasn't necessarily her strong point as she hasn't had to resort to such a tactic in a while, but it was in her arsenal. So, her goal for now was to keep him from attacking by forcing his defenses up.

With this ability, she could physically shoot her psychic energy like a bullet. As much as she'd hate to say it, this was the only thing giving her the edge. They were fairly matched. With a roar of rage, she flew in as fast as she could, covered in the green shroud of her energy with her fist cocked back. The tentacled creature did exactly as she expected, flying back while sending out a barrage of smaller projectiles to catch her in the side.

They didn't reach her as she used her other hand to swipe them away while simultaneously thrusting her other arm forward, shooting off a blast of green energy that made a B-line for the creature's mid-section. Before it reached, he used one of his tentacles and swiped it away like it was nothing. Not one to be deterred, Tornado continued to rush, keeping her defenses up along the way while increasing the number of attacks. Eventually, one got through, but only barely. Taking a chance, she put her hands down and quickly jerked them up, bringing a fair chunk of the ship up to catch him in his blind side.

It somewhat worked as the tentacled creature was forced to keep his tentacles down to make a forcefield strong enough to defend. The momentary opening costed him a blast to its mid-section, sending it floating back. One of the more clear hits in the fight.

* * *

"YEAHHH!" A unanimous shout from the bunker nearest City-Z. They were all watching a very zoomed in version of the fight. The shapes of Tornado and her opponent were little more than squares, but the colors were enough to denote which was which. There was also the obstacle of the speed. For a solid five to ten minutes, nothing could be seen other than brief flashes of green and yellow that gave no indication as to who hit who or really what was going on. It was too fast paced for even someone with keen eyes to discern. With that being the case, seeing that flash of green followed by the black spot hued in yellow float back suddenly like that gave them SOMETHING to go off of. It at the least gave them the impression that she is winning if only slightly.

They were all intently watching the fight aside from the one person that seemed the most likely to watch it on repeat every second of the day. Miu Serunai (a civilian mother) looked down at her daughter who was unexpectedly silent in a time like this. Anyone looking at her would assume her eyes would be glued to this screen harder than anyone else's. "Mina? Are you okay?" She questioned. There was more silence.

She believed she had already known the cause. They were seconds away from death not twenty minutes ago. How they made it out of there? She didn't know. On their way to the bunker, her daughter had suddenly let go of her hand. When she turned to find her, the others were already charging passed her having felt that sudden rumble. She was slightly swept away in the rush of bodies, but when she was able to get clear, she saw the reason for her daughter's sudden halt. She had dropped her Tornado plushy and had gone back for it.

Being a little girl once herself, she understood the sentimental value a toy like that could have, but as a mother, there is no doubt she would have wanted her to leave it. She didn't remember a damn thing that happened after that. She ran back for her only child with a vigor she didn't know she had in her. At the sight of the incoming projectile her daughter had been shell shocked by, instincts took over and she simply scooped her up and took off as fast as she could, determined to make it to those bunker doors. She honestly didn't think she would, but when she did, she did what any good mother would do. She gave her daughter the tightest hug imaginable, kissed her forehead for dear life, and then lashed into her about how foolish going back for that toy was.

Eventually, her rage filled rant ended and she was once again just happy her daughter was safe, but that verbal reprimanding must have had more of an effect than she thought. "… Mina…" She said softly. "Look, I'm sorry that I yelled at you, sweetie." She began, watching as her daughter continued to look to the door. "I'm sorry, b-.."

"Mommy, that guy still hasn't come inside." She said, finally looking at her, more importantly, speaking as if she were not affected by her punishing words from earlier.

Miu looked towards where her daughter was pointing in confusion. Looking back to her, she said the only thing that came to mind. "Huh?"

"That guy. The bald guy from the other bunker." She replied.

Now, Miu was fairly confused. Bald guy? She was sure she hadn't seen a bald guy all day… right? "i-I don't know, sweetie. Maybe he's still there." She said, hoping that was enough to calm her nerves.

"Nuh-uh." Mina replied immediately, looking up to her with stern eyes. "He was behind us. He saved us from that big rock." She replied.

'Behind us?' She questioned. 'We were the last ones weren't we?' With that, she really got to thinking about what happened. Feeling Mina let go of her hand… panicking… seeing her going for the doll… running over and… "Oh.." She said, the image of seeing the rock flooding back to her mind. More importantly, seeing something in front of it. There _was_ a man there… a man with a rather plain looking face and a bald head. With that in mind, she grew somber, thinking about the possibility of him not even seeing that danger coming. She yelled, yes, but maybe it was just a second too late. What's more, thinking about how she picked up Mina and ran… she must have seen everything. "… Oh… well, dear… I think that he maybe went.. somewhere else…"

"Why?" she asked.

Now Miu was hard pressed to explain death to a child. This just didn't seem like the place to do that. How frustrating. With the news the girl watches on a daily basis in search of updates on the Tornado of Terror, she figured she'd have a basic understanding of what it was, but… 'I suppose it's also a good thing she doesn't know.' She figured. "I'm sure he's okay, sweetie." She said, skipping around the subject. "Look, they're still showing Tornado." That was all it took to direct her attention back on the screen. Whoever that man was and why her daughter seemed so interested, she didn't know. As a mother, her priority was her daughter, but there was a pang of guilt that rested in her chest as she looked towards the door. Perhaps she could have done more to help him… With that in the past, she took her daughter's hand tightly and continued through the bunker in search of their family.

* * *

Tatsumaki stared across at her opponent with daring eyes. This was the first standstill they've come to since the start of the fight. Whatever he had up his slimy little sleeves, she didn't know, but what she did know was that she had to finish this soon. Her fight with the Sea-King took more out of her than she originally thought. A prolonged battle like this served a good purpose in exposing her less than one hundred percent capacity. She was starting to feel very drained.

She watched intently as the creature, who hadn't said much else since they began, started readying for another push. Something a bit discerning for her, he didn't seem to be all that tired. Not that he had a pair of lungs to suck air through, but there should be some form of noticeable weariness. Nothing she could see really. Perhaps there was something she couldn't. Noticing slight movement that seemed far too jerky to not have been a readying attack, she readied one too.

Before she shot it off, the creature finally spoke again. "-eh.. Hold on." His strangely normal tone called out as he looked elsewhere as if deep in thought. Tatsumaki watched him with a confused look on her face. "l-.. Lord Boros! I apologize! I didn't reali-… EHHHH!" he exclaimed suddenly, further confusing the small greenete. "h-How could they have defeated even Groribas!? And fairly quickly you say? What kind of monstrous creatures do they really have!? And I thought this one was strong I-… y-Yes sir! I apologize! I will end this quickly and deal with the intruders Lord Boros! Please, excuse my weakness!"

Now, Tatsumaki could say she was a little more alarmed than she was to start. 'Lord Boros? If this thing is answering to something else…' Before she could think more on it, the creature spoke again.

"y-You… tricky swine."

With its eyes boring into hers once more, she assumed he must be talking to her. There was something different now though. He seemed a bit… frightened… skittish even.

"a-A clever rouse for such a primitive species. I must say, I am impressed you had fighters strong enough to defeat Groribas and Melzergard. They were truly tough opponents! n-Not tougher than me of course! Heh-heh.. b-but that's only to be expected. I am Lord Boros' second in command, Geryuganshoop, after all! h-How about I just let you go for now and you call your friends off our ship. I can ensure you, it's likely in your best interest!"

To say she was confused would be an understatement. His words here seemed cowardly, but it was simply the words from before that got under her skin. The little uttering he was doing is what truly pissed her off. Apparently, she wasn't up to this creature's standards. That, she just wouldn't accept. Preparing herself once more, she eyed the octopus once more with a far more deadly look. "You… don't think I am strong?" She asked all too sweetly, her voice not matching the feel of her rising power. "You think you can just skip pass me, like I'm nothing!?"

While she spat her anger filled rant, there was movement off to the side that went relatively unnoticed by either. Through one of the hole created from Tatsumaki ripping chunks, one of Metal Knight's battle bots climbed through, albeit looking far worse for wear, barely clinging on to whatever functionality it had left, sparking and fidgeting with the damage inflicted. With the last of it's mobility function still in place, it turned it's head in the direction of the major battle of Tatsumaki and the psychic invader. The angle wasn't good, but with the back-up power left within, Metal Knight was able to secure a fair view for broadcasting. The other heroes needed eyes up here in case things got too rocky for their new number 1.

* * *

Tatsumaki remained there, opposing the rather odd looking creature, fearlessly. Through the view of the broadcast that just cut onto the screens of the public, it looked like a total action angle. Their hero looked fearless. What more could they ask for? Quality audio?

"Perhaps I should enlighten you as to exactly why I am the second strongest member of the Dark Matter Thieves." His comically whacky voice resounded out in surprisingly good audio, shocking many of the bunker goers. "I have honed my telekinetic abilities throughout the many galaxies. I have faced many psychics just like yourself. They have always been hard fought battles until I acquired a technique that trumps all things. It is my ultimate technique! I wasn't planning on using it so early, but I don't have any more time to spend on you. TELEKINETIC GRAVITATIONAL WAVE!"

As soon as he said this, something miraculous happened. Tornado simply… dropped. She dropped down to the top of the ship, her green hue increasing very vibrantly. For a moment, it seemed she was simply trying to stand, but eventually it just looked like she gave up on that as well. Shock and awe rang throughout the bunkers, all distressed by the sight of Tatsumaki on her hands and knees, shaking as if in intense pain.

Mina saw the sight with big watering eyes, her father held her in his lap, thinking of closing her eyes, but that would probably only more frightened. "Tornado!" She cried out desperately, sparking similar yells of fear from others in her bunker that traveled around the room. "Please… get up!"

For her part, Tatsumaki was oblivious to their shouts. All she could think of was what she was going to do next. What were her options here? She couldn't move. She could barely lift her fingers let alone stand. It took nearly every ounce of her telekinetic prowess to keep her body from collapsing under this immense pressure. Letting that slip for even a second could be all it takes for her little frame to flatten like a bathmat. Without her even realizing it, something ran down her face. It wasn't sweat.

"Heh-heh-heh! I see, so you're nearing your telekinetic limit, eh?" He said, commenting on the blood that began to leak from her brow. "I could tell when this battle began that your power was not completely recovered. Even if it had been, you had no chance of winning against the Supreme Telekinetic Power of the Universe, Geryuganshoop!" he bellowed out. "My control over gravity applies a pull similar to that of a black hole! Within a black hole, gravity is so strong that even light itself cannot escape! Your power is quite formidable, but you have never fought an opponent like me! Heh-heh-heh!"

For the most part, his voice was simply annoying her. She didn't need the run down on this power. All it boiled down to be was a voice in her ears. It was taking everything she has just to stay alive… That's right. This wasn't about fighting for the fate of the world anymore… Right now, she is about to die… With no blast, what was the point of even resisting? What's the point of trying anymore? Maybe she should just give up and accept the inevitable.

' **Don't rely on other people to save you all the time… Sometimes you have to rely on yourself.** '

Those words flooded back to her… in a time like this no less… Just when she was thinking about just giving up. The voice of Blast was unmistakable. Why did he have to give her such damn good advice? Despite that, even if she doesn't give up, what's he expecting her to do? There's so much pressure, even with her using every ounce of the limited strength she still has, the pressure was starting to get to her. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. What's worse, her left eye was almost completely filled with the blood from her brow. This is bad. This is very very bad.

* * *

Stepping out of his bedroom with his yellow suit on, Saitama vaguely glanced to the television that was on as he passed around the corner to the kitchen. There seemed to be some kind of strange alien movie on. (It was really the news. Due to technical difficulties with the source of the broadcast, they were having trouble getting the audio and the headlines up for the reporters, so… in a way it was easy to mistake as a movie at a quick glance.) With a sigh, he headed to the fridge to find some food, all while reflecting on the troubling day it's been. First, work gets cancelled due to some kind of big catastrophe, then he meets a child who makes fun of his head, and then he gets hit by a big flaming rock out of nowhere, ruining his clothes. To make matters worse, he realized he didn't have any clean clothes left other than his hero suit. Geez, the day just couldn't get worse.

… Ooof course it could.

Looking into his fridge with a deadpan expression, he realized they were out of groceries. All that was left was a half stick of butter, some expired milk, and a plastic cup with some kind of yogurt. Placing a hand on his mid-section, he felt it's rumble with a saddened expression. 'rrgh, all the markets are closed until the catastrophe is over with.'

With a sigh, he shut the fridge and grabbed an apple that was on the counter. With nothing to do, he headed for the TV to see what movie was playing. Just as he was going to drop down on his couch, he realized he should probably put some clothes in the washer. No use wasting valuable time on things that didn't matter. So, he did just that. Going to his bathroom, he gathered all of his dirty clothes in a basket. A few minutes later, he Had his red boots on headed out the door and down the hall. Luckily for him, their apartment complex had a laundry room on the bottom floor. Since he was the only one living there – or in City Z period – it was always open for him to use.

With no rush to his movements, he began loading the washer, making sure to separate his colors and his whites. Since he always had the place to himself, he loaded two at a time, a good tip in time management. Before he loaded them, he stopped. 'Ah… I forgot the detergent.' With that, he headed back up to his apartment to grab it, still moving at that same leisurely pace. He passed by the television again to see that same movie was still on. 'Maybe it just started.' He thought. (Okay, surely he should have recognized Tatsumaki by now. There aren't many people with green hair after all. It should have at least stuck out enough for him to take a second look.)

He grabbed the detergent and made his way back down to the laundry room. Putting detergent in both, he looked around for a moment before spotting a container of bleach. It was left here the last time he and Genos had come down to do laundry. Why they didn't just keep both the detergent and the bleach down there since they're the only ones who use it? That… is a good question. He never really thought about that. Putting the bleach into the machine with the whites, he shut both doors and prepared to start them, until he stopped.

…

…

'Ah… I forgot the quarters.' With that, he turned tail again and headed back up to his apartment. He passed the TV again but didn't give it another look. (They were still having difficulties getting up the reporter's audio and what not. Surely, he'd notice then.) After making his way down, he was finally able to get both loads started, leaving him pretty much free for the next twenty minutes. Making it back to the room, he again decided to check the fridge, almost out of habit. He was again disappointed and simply went back around to the television, finding the apple he had grabbed but did not eat.

 _'Okay, we're back?'_ The voice of a woman finally cut on, drawing his attention to the movie that was on.

"Hmm?" He hummed in curiosity as headlines started to appear around the image he was seeing.

 _'Now, for those of you who are just joining us, whether you were asleep or if you just couldn't make it to a bunker before now, I warn you that the images you are seeing on screen are very shocking to say the least. This is a very pressing time in this invasion as the Tornado of Terror along with the other S-Class members have been bravely battling this extra-terrestrial enemy. It would seem now, however, that Tornado is in a very scary position. I'm.. I'm not sure she'll make it out of this one._ ' The anchorwoman said, breaking quite a few hearts with the obvious sorrow in her tone.

Saitama was utterly confused. He had thought the whole invasion thing was already over. 'Huh… I guess they really were facing some strong monsters.' He thought passively. Despite his faith in him, his student came to mind. 'I sure hope Genos is okay.' With that thought, he pulled his phone from his pocket, hoping he didn't have a plethora of messages screaming for help and his phone was on silent. Luckily, it was empty… or is that unlucky?

'We have received word from one of the bunkers in which A-Class hero Lightning Max has explained the predicament. It would appear that the S-Class heroes involved with the assault have set a perimeter to keep the fight contained within the confines of the now destroyed City-A. Two of the heroes have bravely entered the enemy ship in hopes of clearing out the masses while Tornado takes on the leader. Metal Knight and Demon Cyborg have been within the ship for a total of 43 minutes already and they have shown no sign of reemerging. It is the camera of one of Metal Knight's downed battle bots that we are receiving this live footage. Could this mean they have been taken out? Metal Knight is safe and scrambling to prepare another fleet, but sources say the Hero Association HQ has not been able to contact Demon Cyborg in quite a while. We can only hope he is okay.'

Saitama continued to sit back on his couch with a rather plain look, his eyes focused on the girl struggling on her hands and knees for all she was worth. Actually paying attention to the screen, he definitely recognized her now. Only slightly. He's never seen her like this before though. Glancing over at the clock on his wall, he figured he had enough time to make it there and back before his clothes dried out on their own. Letting wet clothes dry out in a washer usually means you have to rewash them.. and he was already out of quarters. "Guess I'll go."

* * *

"t-… TCH!" Tatsumaki stammered out, giving every ounce of strength she had into pilling her power into her frame. She was doing all she could to harden her body enough to withstand the pressure. This freak of a telekinetic showed absolutely no signs of letting up. He had been at it for a few minutes now, but it felt like hours, with the pressure increasing every second. The fact that he didn't finish her off with something else gave her some insight into the ability. Apparently it was something that he could do only while maintaining it. If he tried to move or hit her with another move, he'd have to cancel it. That was good. From what she observed of his frantic conversation from earlier he's on a time crunch. 'a-… all I have to do is outlast him! T-then I'm gonna definitely kill him!' she thought with murderous intent.

It was big talk alright. She could feel every bone in her body quiver and shake against such an immense pressure. The power she was flooding her body with was doing the trick, but it grew ever harder. It was like flexing every muscle in your body as hard as you can continuously. Eventually, she wouldn't be able to do it anymore and that'd be it… but if she can just outlast his move…. She could… she could make a run from it… But, then… who would stay and fight?

…

That'd be it for them. If she can't make a stand right here and now, that'd be it. Funny enough… in this very moment, she actually missed those few minutes of fighting the Sea-King who was ruthless in his attacks… At least back then she had faith of salvation if she couldn't do it… She had a safety-net to fall back on. Now? She is that safety net.

"Heh-heh-heh! I was surprised when a meteor suddenly changed directions headed right for the center of our ship." Geryuganshoop said, planning on trying to get into her head. He just couldn't waste any more time here. "I just knew that it had to be a monstrous telepath… Something I had never faced before, filled with a power unlike any other… Imagine my surprise when this powerful telepath turns out to be nothing more than a little girl."

A vein popped out of Tatsumaki's forehead at his words.

He saw her reaction and knew exactly what it was to play on. "Of all of the planets we've invaded in all of the infinite galaxies, this has been the most disappointing race. It's almost laughable." He remarked. "I mean, it makes sense. Their strongest warrior is a child with power she couldn't possibly understand."

Another vein.

"I'm surprised this speck of a rock is still standing. What kind of warriors do you have here? Monkey's gifted with mediocre intelligence who tinker with little toys… lackluster brutes with less power than the children of other planets… and a child with the potential to be great… her only restriction is she's stuck in the body of a cute.. little.. girl."

"Rargh!" Tatsumaki yelled out, charging as hard as she possibly could. She leapt off the ground much to Geryuganshoop's surprise, but it was no cause for concern for him. She started taking jagged steps in his direction, looking (ironically enough) like a toddler taking their first steps.

"Hahahah! That's right, LITTLE GIRL! Feed into that rage! Wear yourself out and be crushed by the force of my black hole!" he bellowed out gleefully.

Tatsumaki knew his game, but she was just far too enraged to care. No one… NO ONE called her weak! Those days were long gone! She'd prove it to him here and now when she made it to him and crushed his head like a melon. But… the closer she got, the further she seemed. It felt like she weighed a thousand times more than she actually does. Every step rattled her fragile bones. The amount of rage-fueled energy pouring out of her was something at the back of her mind at this point. She couldn't let anything stop her right now!

Too bad her path wasn't clear. With as much force as she could, she swung her leg forward for another step, unintentionally kicking some kind of pipe that did more damage than it probably ever has. "ARGH!" With a cry of pain, she hit her knees again. Falling so suddenly caused her to momentarily lose focus on exerting all that energy, so that fall definitely hurt.

Here she was… once again kneeling before this alien freak… Once again sitting there… waiting to die… waiting to be saved… waiting for anything.

…

Maybe it all was just pointless… Maybe it had been a pointless venture from the very start. When it comes to strength, she was simply outmatched here… That's all there was to it. So, by that logic… by that logic she should be the one to parish… Yeah… She had long passed the point of finding reasons to live. Now, she supposed, she was just looking for a reason to die…

' **Don't rely on other people to save you all the time…** '

…

'I know that…' She thought meekly.

…

' **Sometimes, you have to rely on yourself…** '

…

'… What if you can't?' She wasn't necessarily expecting an answer, but…

…

' **… Then die…** '

Her eyes shot open wider in shock when something happened in between her and the tentacled freak. A small section of the metal, a little closer to where Geryuganshoop stood, suddenly popped and raised up as if something had been thrown against it. Then, with another hit, that bump busted open like a metallic pimple, spitting something a bit familiar out. Tatsumaki followed it with her eyes, not even noticing when the gravity let up a bit. Enough to let her breathe anyways.

The object rolled for a while before it finally came to a stop. It was (something that seemed way too common) the heavily damaged body of the Demon Cyborg who looked dead. She would have thought he was if he didn't try and move a bit after he landed. She looked at him curiously. He wasn't all that, but he was definitely not weak. What the hell could have done that to him.

"Oh dear." Her recent opponent uttered, seeming somewhat concerned.

She eyed him curiously before something else caught her attention. A hand clasped down on the edge of the hole Genos was spat from. An armor-gloved hand bathed in gold, followed soon by the rest of the owners' form as he pulled himself through. A suit wrapped around his torso drenched in the most beautiful gold she had ever seen. Pointed boots to match. White pants that flowed freely along with the thick red cape on his back. His hair a spiky pink and his skin a deep blue. A single yet wide eye that peered down into her two. There was something about this one that oozed power like nothing she's ever felt before. It was only then, being this close to it did she truly realize… It was not the octopus telepath that she felt earlier… it was this…

Geryuganshoop looked at him with a very submissive feel to his fidgeting appendages. "l-.. Lord Boros…"

(Cliffhanger activated)

* * *

 **AN: Heh. Nice cliff hanger, right? So, I just watched the episode with Garou being hunted by the group of heroes and honestly, they definitely cleaned up and smoothened out the actualy animation of this fight so far. I really like it. Hoping for more.**

 **Question: What was the first anime you watched?**


	5. The Invasion (part 3): Attack! Attack!

**What It Means**

 **AN: Whats!... GOOD y'all, welcome BACK! (Berleezy anyone? Heh, heh… okay.) Anyways, thanks for the reviews. I enjoy reading them all. Also, to answer last weeks question, my first Anime was probably Dragon Ball, the original. Used to watch it with my dad all the time. But, then I came across Naruto and the rest was history. Naruto is still my favorite Anime of all time (don't me) but, Dragon Ball has some of my favorite characters of all time… but, honestly depending on how the series goes, One Punch Man has a shot at becoming my #1. Anyways, please enjoy this continuation of What It Means! Thank you for reading.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Within the bunker nearest City-Z, Mina, the little girl drenched in the Tornado of Terror merch from head to toe, was an emotional wreck watching the screen above. Seeing Tornado like this was something none of them ever thought possible. She had seen hundreds of videos with Tornado absolutely destroying any and every monster she came before. In her little mind, there was nothing in the entire universe that could beat Tornado. Absolutely nothing.

Yet, here she is struggling to even move against some weird squid looking thing. What the heck was she planning to do? Where are the other heroes? Why is no one helping her? So many questions that couldn't be answered in a way that would appease someone who absolutely praises the hero in danger. The silence of the bunker was deathly. All that could be heard was sniffling that came in increments from all directions. Even her mom is crying…

Everyone's crying, but no one is helping! Everyone is hiding out in here like this place is going to protect them forever. She may be young, but she knew enough to use common sense. If all the S-Class heroes were beaten by that Sea-King freak who got into a bunker, and Tatsumaki (the strongest in her mind) is getting beaten by this flying octopus, then of course it would be able to get them eventually. Hiding doesn't help anything! She looked away from the screen in search of a hero that she could beg to go and help, but the moment her eyes left the screen, gasps of shock brought them back.

There was something that busted through the top of the ship they were standing on. It tumbled a bit before landing a few feet in front of their camera. It wasn't hard to tell what it was. The metallic silver body and the mess of blonde hair. It was Demon Cyborg all torn apart. There was an uproar of unbelieving shouts as if this were a movie that someone had written out and they didn't believe the outcome. Those shouts dwindled down into little more than shocked murmuring when a hand crept through the hole Demon Cyborg was just spat from.

A gold hand that brought with it the body of the true leader of the ship. He was unmistakably imposing. Far scarier than the octopus, that's for sure. Mina saw all she needed to see. Someone has to do something.

* * *

"l-.. Lord Boros…" Geryuganshoop spit out with that same quaking sense of fear he felt earlier when speaking to this new creature.

The being in question turned his lone eye in the direction of the one who called his name. A certain steadiness to his movements that informed everyone watching that this here is truly the final boss. "Geryuganshoop…" He said, his voice spilling out in a deep booming echo that shook the viewers to the core. "Why have you not returned to your control room?"

"i-.. I'm sorry, Lord Boros. t-This Esper is quite a nuisance. She has been quite formidable, even lasting this long against my ultimate technique." He replied with his whimsically uncertain tone.

A vein of unrivalled rage popped out on Tatsumaki's forehead at such a demeaning title.

"My number two in command… and he couldn't dispose of a mere nuisance." Boros uttered carelessly. "I would demote you if Melzargard and Groribas were still alive."

Another vein.

"Please! Forgive me, Lord Boros! I will finish her off quickly!" Geryuganshoop exclaimed proudly with a bit of forced bravado in his voice.

Boros's cold stare is all he was met with. "It is too late for that. Finishing her quickly would have been something to proclaim an hour ago when you were sent. Now, it would simply be finishing her." He corrected pointlessly, further infuriating the downed girl with how casually they were speaking.

"o-Oh, of course! But, I was speaking in terms of right now, sir! In a way, this is like another fight. Heh-heh. As it was interrupted a moment ago." He said, trying to save face.

"You fool. This is the same fight. You have not released your technique that is from the previous fight. Therefore, this fight is the same fight."

Their back and forth continued in this manner, infuriating Tatsumaki beyond belief. They were taking her lightly. They were essentially ignoring her in favor of settling a petty argument that a child would have over a video game. She was angry. Far angrier than she's ever been before… but, what could she do? He was still holding this technique of his. This ultimate technique that she just couldn't seem to break.

How was she going to get out of this?

In truth, she is in a very desperate situation right now, yes… but even so. There is a bit of excitement in this. Funny how only in this moment where she is so close to death can she take a step back in relish in the fact that this is the first good fight she's had in years. Fighting that Sea-King freak was nothing like this. He simply had an ability suitable for countering an Esper. He was able to wear her down enough to place her in a vulnerable position to where she was little more than a civilian. This was obviously a similar situation, but… back then… perhaps she was still banking on the 'fact' that Blast would be showing up any second… In other words, when it got a little too tough…

She gave up.

That's right… She gave up, just like she was about to give up earlier. Just like she gave up back then… the first time Blast saved her… Now, that option doesn't exist. There is no giving up just to get saved later on. If she gives up here, then that is equivalent to the world giving up. It's equivalent to not only her own death, but millions more. If she can't kill these bastards, then who will they go for next? Who's gonna stand up and fight this unwinnable battle? Bang? The other S-Class heroes?

…

As she thought this, there was a sudden pang in her chest. A feeling of dread… sorrow… unbelievable fear… Perhaps it was always there from the start? But, now she could feel it… and it didn't belong to her…

'I have t-…' she groaned out, trying to stand as much as she could while their attention wasn't on her. 'I-… I have to stand… I have to show them I'm not going to die here… I have to show her…'

That dread was her sisters. Fubuki was probably huddled down in a bunker somewhere with her little group of followers watching this pressing scene. She must be contemplating coming out here. God-forbid her being on the way. An older sister's duty is to protect her younger sibling no matter what… What good would she be showing weakness in a time like this?

"It is the same fight." Boros said with finality in his tone, finished with their little back and forth. "Regardless of how you see it, it is what it is. And an ultimate technique should be something that kills instan-.."

"I'm…" he was cut off by the meek voice of the little Esper who was starting to move. Their eyes turned to her lithe form as she tried to make it to her feet. They watched her struggle, buckle when Geryuganshoop added more pressure, but never falling. Eventually, she made it to both of her little feet, her body still hunched over in pain. Her breathing was labored from the sheer effort, but she did not back down. "I'm… n-not.. weak… I w-…" With as much force as possible, she stood to her full height, straightening out in a heroic effort. "I will KILL YOU!"

Then, before they knew what hit them, Geryuganshoop's body dropped a bit before a golden glow of light appeared around him far brighter than it had before. Boros did not buckle, instead, looking down at his feet that were now slightly implanted into the ship's metal.

"w-.. What!?" Geryuganshoop muttered out, now stuttering, not in fear, but effort as he found it hard to keep afloat. "y-You… how could she have copied my ultimate technique!?" he demanded. "How is she still standing!?"

"Hmph." Boros huffed, stepping away from their little battle with little interest. "It would seem it will not be quick after all." To the surprise of Tatsumaki (and everyone viewing the battle through the slowly cracking camera of Metal Knight's fallen android) Boros simply took a seat on a slightly raise section of the ships surface. Apparently planning on watching.

"l-Lord Boros! Uh.. heh… m-Maybe I could use a hand here! n-Not that I would ever lose, but.. f-for the purpose of preserving the ship of course!" Geryuganshoop said, scrambling for assistance against an enemy he originally had written off. Feeling her immense power now was a far cry from what it was earlier.

"You claim to be the Ultimate Telekinetic Prowess in the universe and yet you are shying away from such a formidable opponent. If I step into this battle, I may as well take your head along with the girls."

His master's cold words heard and understood, Geryuganshoop huffed and resigned to dealing with it himself. Tatsumaki remained at the ready, facing him once again with rage being the only thing to fuel her depleted energy.

* * *

Walking down the road, still dressed in her Tornado of Terror fangirl uniform, Mina didn't know what her plan was. All she knew was that somebody had to help. How she planned to do it? She wasn't exactly sure. She wasn't even sure she was going the right way. When she left her mom's side, she wasn't even noticed. Everyone was so transfixed on the screen they didn't care to take note of a little girl walking towards the exit unattended. The only person who did was a B-Class hero who was supposed to be watching the exit. That was only because she had gotten his attention by tugging on his pants. She asked him why he wasn't trying to help, and he simply said that the threat was beyond him and pushed her aside. Asking another hero seemed pointless to her. They'd probably say the same thing. So, she made up her mind and decided to go and help, herself.

There were stories in comment sections from some working heroes who said their abilities manifested from moments of extreme danger. A lot of them didn't even have heroes in their family. So, maybe that means she has a power she doesn't know about yet. Perhaps it's just a dormant ability. She didn't know. What could a little girl do to help a hero as strong as the Tornado of Terror? Probably nothing, but if no one else was willing to help, then she would. No more waiting around. She slipped out the exit without anyone noticing and began walking down the road in the direction that that rock came from.

She's been walking for ten minutes now, and still City A seemed lightyears away. There were a lot of thoughts running through her mind. For all she knew Tornado could be dead already. What if she doesn't make it in time? Will everyone else be too scared to do anything? She didn't want to run. That'd waste all her energy before she could fight. She couldn't drive. Her feet didn't reach the peddles yet. If only she had her bike with her, she'd make it no problem. Too bad. All she had to rely on here were her feet. That had to be enough…

She froze suddenly when a rumble was felt. It was far more intense than the one before. So much so that she actually wobbled a bit, catching herself a moment later. She was now properly scared, yet, also relieved. That rumble meant that Tornado must be still up and fighting. With a small smile, she prepared to take off running, throwing caution to the wind. Before she did, she froze… absolutely froze…

A moment of déjà vu overcame her with the sight of what looked like stars appearing along the horizon in a beautiful showing of light. They were small, like seeing a twinkling speck in the night sky, but they were growing… Would they pass right over her? Would she be so lucky this time? Her mind was screaming at her to duck into a nearby building or.. climb into the metal mail-box next to her… SOMETHING! But… she couldn't move… Just like before when she ran back to get her toy… she couldn't move… This time, there was no bald head standing in front of her, oblivious to the danger… There was no distant call of her name from her mother who was running up behind her to save her… There was nothing like that…

Perhaps this is the dangerous situation they spoke about online. Maybe this is where a secret power would manifest without her doing anything? Looking down to her little Tatsumaki plushy, she thought about what it must have been like for Tornado when she first got her power. Maybe… maybe it was just like this! She wouldn't shy away from some big stupid thing flying at her! She wouldn't run away! She'd stand her ground and…

With determination in her eyes, she looked back to the encroaching objects that were a lot closer and a whole lot bigger than she originally thought. Raising her hand up as she's seen Tatsumaki do when she uses her power, she tried with all her might to stop them where they were. She tried everything she could. Maybe there was some kind of trick to it. Perhaps it was like flexing… her arms began to shake from the effort, but they just kept coming. At this point, she could feel the rumble of some that were shorthanded and impacted before they even reached passed her, smacking into buildings with enough force to cut straight through. Still, she wasn't deterred. Not until one of them passed over head, moving fast enough to push her back a bit from the sheer force of the wind it brought.

Now, her legs were shaking in fear, thinking or… knowing, rather, that she made a horrible mistake in leaving that bunker. It was like a warzone around her. She could hear these huge chunks landing and shattering whole buildings all around. What's more devastating, there was one coming right for her! She could see it closing in almost like it was watching her. It felt like running would mean absolutely nothing. It was far enough away that perhaps jumping to her left or right about two hops would clear her of the danger, but… she couldn't move. The sight of it just felt like it would follow her no matter what. There were smaller chunks surrounding it as well that would without a doubt reach her first if she did try to run… but even facing those was a much better option than taking the hit from this brutish piece of flying rubble. But it all meant nothing… because she couldn't move.

In other words, . . . she was completely done for.

No salvation . . . no ray of shining hope . . . no more watching the Tornado of Terror fight monsters . . . no more school, no more friends, no mom, no dad, no family… She'd just be dead. Her heart sank as all these realizations flooded her young mind in waves of regret… Regret for coming out here… regret for not being stronger… or braver.

. . .

If she were braver, maybe she could move her legs… But, they simply wouldn't budge…

These pieces seemed nice enough to let her have her little thought train of self-pity, but they weren't going to just hover in the air and let her finish. The smaller ones were the first to reach near her. She could hear them whizz by her like bullets passing by her ear. The fear became absolute terror when one was mere inches from hitting her right in the head. It was so scary that she actually moved, if only slightly. The shock of it made her step backwards a bit. Far too late to get her legs now. But, it also made her shut her eyes in a flinch. Now, all there was to do was await the inevitable impact of the much bigger one that would no doubt crush her completely…

It wasn't far behind the smaller ones, so it'd be hitting aaaany second now…

. . .

. . .

There was a loud crashing sound followed by a loud scraping. . . but there was no pain. . . Was she dead? Was this what it felt like to die?

. . .

No, she could still feel her heart beating… So, maybe, she did have a power after all!

Incredibly, she actually did! The power… of convenience! . . . (plot armor)

"What are you doing out here?" A familiar voice called out.

She creaked an eye open, trying to figure out what happened. It was only then did she realize she was no longer on her feet… or on the street… or even touching the ground for that matter. She was being carried princess style by a man… Actually, a silhouette of a man thanks to the backdropping of another passing piece of flaming debris. When the piece passed, she saw it… his unnaturally bald head. "i-… It's you!" she yelled out, tears following soon behind as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her face planting into his closest shoulder.

"Hm?" Saitama questioned curiously as he held her. They were now atop a building, clear of the danger. He had hit the ground running as soon as he left his apartment. It wasn't more than a few seconds before he felt that rumble… a few seconds more he comes across this familiar little girl with her hand out, apparently trying to stop a piece of something that was about to crush her. He made it just in the nick of time it seemed. "er-.." He was about to ask her again before he realized he had forgotten her name… or did she ever tell it to him? "k-.. Kid? What are doing out here by yourself? I thought you were going to the bunker."

She refused to pull her face from his shoulder, but she did respond. Her voice muffled and quivering with tears of joy, but she replied nonetheless. "i-I was! b-But.. Tor-.. Tornado's in trouble! a-And no one is trying to help! I jus-.. I don't want her to die!" She balled out.

Saitama didn't reply, simply side-eyeing her for a moment. If he remembered correctly, she and her mother were headed for the bunker by the gate of City-Z. He'd have to back track a bit, but he couldn't just leave her here. Not with all the debris flying around.

Mina was still crying into his shoulder, wondering why it was he wasn't talking. She figured he thought she was stupid for her endeavor. Anyone would think so, right? An eight-year-old girl trying to help a hero like Tornado? Tch, yeah right. She creaked an eye open slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of his reaction. That eye shot immediately when her stomach dropped like it did when she rides roller coasters. They landed on the ground and before she could recover from that uncomfortable feeling, she had to grab on as tightly as she could when Saitama took off running at inhuman speeds back in the direction they came.

The wind was so loud that she couldn't even imagine trying to speak right now. So, she simply held on for dear life and enjoyed the ride. Her face was looking out behind him, simply to protect her eyes from the wind. In her joy of being saved again, she hadn't cared to take note of his attire. But, now, all she could see was his fluttering white cape. 'Wow…' She thought in awe. 'He really is a hero…'

They came to a stop soon enough. To her shock, they were already at the bunker she had previously fled from. That didn't take more than 30 seconds! She had been walking for at least 10 minutes! How fast is this guy!? He set her down at the entrance, making sure she had her balance. "There you go. You should stay inside. It's not really safe out here… Well… see yah." He said, almost turning away.

"a-Wait!" She yelled out urgently.

Saitama turned back and looked at the little girl who had her glowing eyes admiring every inch of his costume. "Hm?"

"Wh-…" She tried to fumble out. "Who are you?" she asked.

He was cautious here… the last time a conversation such as this happened, he accidently acquired a disciple he is not at all capable of teaching. "… Saitama." He answered.

"Saitama…" She whispered to herself, making sure she remembered it. "… Saitama…" She said a bit louder, drawing his attention further. He was incredibly shocked when this child fell to her knees, her forehead pressing against the pavement as she bowed to him. (All this while still holding her Tornado plushy as tightly as possible.) "Please!" She yelled.

'Oh great.. Here we go.' He thought. This was like déjà vu.

"PLEASE!" She yelled louder.

Saitama took this long pause as an opportunity to think of how to let her down gently. He didn't want to outright just break her heart, but he couldn't take on any more disciples. Especially not a ki-..

"-SAVE TORNADO!" Her voice cut through his thoughts like hot butter, freezing him for a moment. "She's my favorite hero ever! Please! I don't want her to die! . . . Please . . ."

There was a certain level of desperation to that final 'please' that probably would have touched his heart if it were back before his training. He's pretty much heard this shtick a couple of times now by people who simply forget who he is once it's all said and done… Regardless, he's headed there anyways. So, he turned around, drawing her attention as she sat back on her heels and watched him leave. Using his elbow to push his cape back, he said one word that would resonate through this child's mind like nothing before. ". . . Okay."

* * *

"So, there are two of them now?" Metal Bat casually called out over their radio frequency, wanting to know the plan. "What're we gonna do? Wait till the brat dies and then go up and help?"

"Hey, you heard what that thing said." Atmoic Samurai said. "Apparently, this creature she's been fighting is not the boss. Whatever that other guy can do, I don't know if we're ready to handle it."

"Whoa, is that fear I hear?" Metal Bat mocked. "I don't care what that thing can do. It's got no fighting spirit that can match mine."

"You're quick to assume, Bat. But I would not be so hasty with my words." Bang said. "I say we continue to wait. Tornado is the number 1 hero after all."

"Tch, you old people and your whole 'wait' business." Metal Bat retorted. "I don't think we've got that luxury anymore."

"The kid may be right, Bang." Tank Top hero said, joining the conversation. "It's not very heroic to leave this much responsibility on one person."

"I agree." Flashy Flash said. "But, there may be cause for concern. From the footage we have seen, this creature easily defeated Demon Cyborg which is no small feat. There didn't seem to be a scratch on him. If the telepath octopus is a creature that is pushing Tornado to her limits and it is subservient to this new-comer, it would be unwise to face it without the entirety of the S-Class in attendance."

"Then we get them here." Atomic Samurai exclaimed. "We need everyone. Pig, Watchdog man.. Everyone. We must make our stand soon, or Tornado will have had a short run as the number 1 hero."

* * *

A hug chunk of the ship beneath them came rushing towards Tatsumaki at incredibly blinding speeds. With a wave of her hand, it was casted aside. A few swipes of her arms and there were even more pieces shooting towards Geryuganshoop who was backed into a defensive technique of avoiding and deflecting. Occasionally, there was a window of opportunity for attack, but it never remained open long enough for him to deliver anything of value. His plan was to tire her out. It was clear before he even displayed his ultimate technique that this girl was nearing her limit. Where this new found power was coming from? He had no idea. It was like she held another tank of Psychic energy stored away inside her that was unleashed in full simply by her unrelenting rage.

What's worse, HE'S nearing his limit! He could feel himself slowing down the longer they went. Taking a risk with another attack, he leaned back, narrowly avoiding a sharp spear like object that nearly split his head from the bottom. She's been getting closer and closer to hitting him with that finishing blow. One mistake… one false move. One bite on a feint and he'd be dead! He knew it!

'Oh no, oh no! I've got to do something soon, or she'll kill me! I know it!' he thought frantically. He looked around for something that could give him the advantage, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. He would've seen it by now! 'Heh.. heh, what am I worried about!?' He thought as he continued to swivel and swerve away from her inhuman power. 'Lord Boros would never let her kill me!'

* * *

'Hmm… Geryuganshoop too will meet his end today…' Boros thought as he stared up at the interesting battle of telepaths. He was watching Tatsumaki specifically with much interest (not caring in the slightest for the safety of his second in command). He had been wondering if this was it. Could this Esper on this ridiculously fragile planet be the creature he's been searching for?

. . .

Absolutely not. . . It was just wishful thinking. He could obliterate Geryganshoop on any day without trouble. This girl seems to have her hands full. But… that rage of hers… That fury in her technique, driving every move… it sure does remind him of himself… 'Perhaps I shall spare her when I end this pitiful planet and appoint her second in command. I will need a new crew after all. It's only coincidence her power coincides with Geryuganshoop's.'

He continued to watch, ducking and casually leaping away when their attacks strayed too close to his person. His eye remained lazily on the smaller Esper, but he no longer felt that thrill from her. Strangely enough, he did feel something. He felt an incredible power, so dense that he could feel it like a brick on his shoulder, but… it wasn't coming from this child. Surely, he would come across this individual soon enough. 'I just hope it'll provide at least a bit of a challenge' he thought.

* * *

"rrRRAGH!" Tatsumaki roared out in her rage filled fit of anger. She honestly didn't know how she was still going like this. She couldn't think. She could hardly see with the blood in her eyes. She probably should have dropped from sheer exhaustion back when he had her pinned. The only thing keeping her up and conscious now was her anger, and nothing more. She didn't stop, she didn't pause or hesitate. Every attack came as a string of them, all trying hard to catch the creature off guard. She feared stopping in her attacking would remind her body of it's limits and she'd succumb to that pain.

She couldn't stop… not here.

Attack…

Attack…

Attack!

'I'll kill them… I'll kill them ALL!' she mentally roared out. Their battle in this second half was far more intense than in their first encounter. The attacks were of a bigger, more dangerous nature. Instead of small pieces of the ship being tossed around, there were huge chunks. Instead of one big meteor coming down trying to crush the octopus, she sent a shower (which he swiped away, resulting in the devastation to the other cities, reaching all the way to Y). It was a battle of the universes most dangerous minds, and for those watching it was a sight to behold.

* * *

For everyone in the bunker, they only caught small glimpses of green and yellow flashes when they streaked across the screen. Similar to the first view they caught of the fight, but a lot less revealing in terms of who was winning. All they knew was that Tatsumaki was still fighting. For the most part, that's all they needed to know. She seemed done for a while ago, so the simple fact that she's up again was all they needed. It brought hope back to the hopeless who began to see flashbacks of the Sea-King's attack. That terror… that dread.

Now, their number 1 was back in action. What could be more relieving than that?

…

Well, one of the bad guys getting his head split open was probably more relieving. It was sheer convenience he happened to be backing into the view of the camera, but regardless, they witnessed the octopus's demise at the hands of their trusted savior. For a moment, there was a disbelieving silence. Surely with the power that thing has shown, he may have some sort of power of regeneration right? The boss always has a second phase…

. . .

No?

"YEEEEAHHHH!" One man started it, but was soon followed by a slew of other's all around his bunker, soon spilling over into the others. It was as if they were linked. The force of their cheers shook the ground below, like one of the attacks from the battle.

* * *

Saitama was still running top speed, his face as plain as ever, when he felt that rumble. 'Hm?' He questioned. He could see the ship in view now. He was somewhere in City-C. The ship was so massive he could see it from the time he got through City-E. That rumble he feels, it could be big trouble. 'I better get there fast. I sure hope the bad guy isn't down yet.' With a leap, he took off flying (essentially just a really long jump) to the ship.

* * *

Without a second of hesitation after decapitating Geryuganshoop, Tatsumaki made a b-line straight for her next opponent. Along the way, she picked up a sharp piece of metal scrap, preparing to lodge it in his head here and now. When she made it close enough, she thrusted her arm forward, aiming straight for his head. He didn't attempt to move. When it came close enough, he swatted it away with the back of his hand like it was nothing. She didn't have time to be surprised, packing her fist with enough power to take his head off, she swung for the fences.

Boros allowed the punch to land, simply out of interest. Perhaps she could muster up enough power for him to at least feel it.

Her punch connected, but it might as well have been a slap to the cheek with a foam finger. He didn't buckle, flinch, or move at all. It was like a flailing armed punch from a toddler. She couldn't help but pause momentarily in disbelief. She put her all into that hit! He should be skipping across this big hunk of metal ship of his! She couldn't let that stop her though! She had to keep attacking! Just as she was preparing to launch more scrap, he casually planted his fist into her stomach. If anyone had been looking, it probably looked like less than a playful jab, but it drove through her small body like nothing she's ever felt before! In her rage-filled thinking, she was only worried about attacking… not defending.

The punch traveled through her in waves, starting from the point of contact and echoing out through her fingers and toes before ricocheting and converging back to that point of contact.

For Boros, it was hardly a punch, but it served its purpose of stopping her momentum. He figured she was simply working off of adrenaline and nothing more. So, all he had to do was stop her for a second. Sure enough, he watched her glow start to dim down before it became nothing more than a slight green outline you'd have to squint to see completely. When it was gone, she hit her feet and stumbled back a bit on wobbly legs.

He continued to watch her in interest.

Tatsumaki's vision was so badly diluted with the red of her own blood, she honestly couldn't really see much of anything anymore. She could see the outline of her opponent and his massively imposing stature, but that was about it. Stumbling back a bit more to gain some space, she held her mouth, coughing up blood that leaked through her slender fingers.

'th-… this is it.' She thought as she slowly crumbled down to her knees. No longer the gravity with a force similar to a black hole holding her down. Now, it was just their normal everyday gravity, but it sure did feel the same. 'I-… I can't go on anymore-!' Many things crossed her mind. Mainly excuses for why she's in this situation. 'If only I was at 100% when I fought that octopus… then I'd have beaten him no problem! Then… then I'd beat this freak with no problem too… Maybe that's why blast always showed up only when the boss fights came… he had to recover from his last fight…'

She looked up at her opponent who was slowly taking steps closer to him. He was speaking to her. She only knew that because of the murmuring she could hear in her ringing ears. He was coming closer and closer, preparing to end her life, no doubt. He'd likely kill everyone… he'd end this planet without a second thought and move on… all because she couldn't stop him… how pathetic.

She watched as he picked up, ironically, the same pipe like piece of scrap she had used to destroy the head of Geryuganshoop. Fitting she would meet the same end. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move a muscle. Her body felt as if it were locked in place. Not out of fear, but sheer exhaustion. That's what it was. Unbelievable exhaustion that locked every joint in its place. Not that it mattered much. Even if she could move, her power was drained far beyond the point of absolutely nothing. She usually knew she was reaching her limit with the headache that came with such a strain on the brain. Before, that pain was nothing more than a very bad migraine. Now, however, it was a few leaps above that. It was head-splitting pain that throbbed every few seconds, begging her to fall unconscious.

Her self-evaluation was pointless… but it did good in one thing. It distracted her from the death that was now poised and moments away from driving that pipe through her skull. Despite her defeat here… she proved her point… She is not weak. She defeated his second in command while she was injured from a recent battle. Had she been at full capacity, that fight would've been a cake walk. 'I-… I did good…' She thought, somewhat content. As much as she told herself that, that bitterness still remained. 'Just not good enough'. With that, she closed her eyes when she saw the pipe come shooting down, aimed at the top of her skull.

. . .

(BOOM!)

Boros paused before he impaled the girl when his ship was rocked as if shot by a very large cannon. He looked around for a culprit before his eyes landed on… a man. A bald man wearing a ridiculously bright yellow jump suit with possibly the plainest face he had seen in all his years. ". . . Another lamb to the slaughter." He muttered. "I will be with you shortly." He said, turning back to his target. She fought well, she deserved a quick death. Pulling the pipe back up, he drove it down, planning on jabbing it through her skull. Miraculously, he was thrown off balance by the force of the wind. More surprising, the pipe met nothing but the top of the ship. The girl was gone.

* * *

The viewers were surprised when something re-entered the screen. It was Tatsumaki! But… she was passed out. Someone laid her down right in front of the camera blocking most of it. They could see her bloodied face in full view. The only thing of this other unknown hero they could see was a red glove, his yellow donning chest and his white cape. The camera view stopped right before his face could be seen. He gently laid Tatsumaki's head down on the floor before standing up and turning around. Murmurs filled the bunkers with 'hero experts' making assumptions as to who it could possibly be. There were many theories. Most of them ridiculous, claiming a new robot from Metal Knight, a new costume for Flashy Flash, and a slew of other possibilities. There was only one person who was successful in naming this hero. Not that anyone knew it.

Mina's face was squished against her mother's cheek as it's been for at least 30 minutes now. When she returned to the bunker, her mother was frantic in her search for her. She received yet another reprimanding and then was coddled uncontrollably ever since. Her right eye was closed shut against her mother's face, but her left eye was open and looking at the screen as best she could. She saw the yellow, the white, and the red and knew without a doubt. "Saitama!" her muffled voice came out. No one heard her.

The theories came to a slow halt when the final boss and this new-comer began to talk. Everyone listened in. It was kind of hard with the crackling of the film. It seemed Metal Knight's bot was running out of juice.

"u-.. Genos. Are you alive?"

A very meek, but somewhat audible reply is all he received. "… m-… master..."

With a sigh of relief, he stood up and faced the creature. "Hey, are you the boss man of these invaders?" Saitama asked curiously.

For a moment, he didn't reply. Boros was examining his next opponent. He could see it… or rather, he couldn't. 'I can sense no limit to this man's power. The finest warrior this planet has to offer.' He continued to stare at him for a moment more. "Wonderful." He said suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Before we fight. Let us exchange names." He said, beginning with his own introduction. "I lead the pirate band known as Dark Matter. And I am the Dominator of the Universe. My name.. is Bo-.. s" (The camera started fizzing out.)

Everyone watching was at the edge of their seat! They were finally gonna get an answer! What's his name? What's his name!?

"I'm a hero for fun. A-… na-.. i-.." (Static)

"AAAAWWW!" A unanimous groan echoed throughout almost every bunker. What are the odds they'd have technical issues at such a vital moment!?

 _[Please remain patient while Metal Knight reroutes power. The stream will be back up shortly.]_ The woman on the intercom said, making them groan.

It didn't take long before it came back up.

"Look dude, I don't know what the denominator of the universe wants with earth… But, you sure did make a big mess out of City-A. And you beat up my friend." Saitama said, eyeing him down.

Boros continued to look his way. "What I want with earth…" He began walking slowly towards Saitama. "There exists a prophecy."

"A prophecy?" Saitama asked. "What do you mean?"

"I was once a traveler, exploring the universe, ravaging everything in sight. But, I was too strong. Eventually, I found there were none left who could face me. I came to know the torment of utter, all encompassing boredom. Then one day.. a great seer told me.. somewhere on a far away planet, a being exists who is my match. One who could rekindle my passion for battle. That was nearly twenty years ago… Have you any concept of the distance I've traveled to get here?"

Saitama continued to watch him approach with an uninterested look on his face.

"My men thought the prophecy was a ruse. A fairytale made up to focus my attention and lure me away." His voice spiked up to one that oozed excitement. "But now, I'm certain it was true! Come, and give stimulation to my existence! That – is why I am here!"

(Bang!)

Saitama punched him in his chest with a casual straight that sent him skipping across the roof of his ship. "Are you an idiot? You can't just go around attacking other planets simply to liven up your boring little life. Even telemarketers wouldn't think of something that dumb… Hm?"

Everyone watched the screen with bated breathes, wondering what happened. They heard a loud smack, but they couldn't see anything! It was all very frustrating! All they had to go off of was the voices of these two unknowns. There was a crackle and pop before one of them spoke again. It was the alien, but he sounded a lot further away.

"This set of armor, which was used to seal in my immeasurable, irresistible power, has now been broken."

. . .

"Okay." Such a simple reply. "Look, can we make this quick? I've got clothes in the washer. I have to get them in the dryer soon."

"rrrrrrRRRRRAGH!" Boros yelled, confusing them… until that massive blast of energy shook the ground beneath them. "It is time!"

* * *

The S-Class heroes were now grouped up, all waiting for the rest of their high-classed colleagues to arrive. They were told Tatsumaki was down for the count, but this string of inhuman blasts and rumbles said otherwise. "What the hell's goin on up there!?" Atomic Samurai asked, frustrated by their lack of information.

"I guess the brat's still kickin, huh?" Metal Bat replied.

"This does not feel like Tornado." Flashy Flash said, staring up at the trembling ship.

Bang stared up as well with his hands behind his back and a very suspicious look on his aged face. The blasts were coming faster and faster and they continued increasing in volume. This definitely was not Tornado.

"Oh, I hope sweet Tatsumaki will be okay." Puri-Puri Prisoner said, striking a ridiculously cutesy pose that was rather unsightly for a big burly man with absolutely no clothes on.

"Yeah, me too. But, for the love of god would you put some clothes on." Metal Bat said, looking away.

Puri-Puri Prisoner simply smiled at him. "Oh, sweet Bat. I just want to be prepared to use my angel style when the time comes."

"I pray it doesn't."

"I'm getting a call from Sitch. Everyone listen in." Atomic Samurai said, pulling his phone up. "What's the situation?"

'We are unsure. There seems to be an unknown battling their leader. We don't know who it is, but he is fairing well against this creature. Though, his motivations don't seem too reliable.'

"What do you mean?" Metal Bat asked.

'He claims to be a-.. a hero for fun… Says he has to make it quick because his clothes need to be put in the dryer… Sooo… I'm not sure if it's good to rely on this… I'd say you better get up there as soon as possible.'

To everyone's confusion, Bang chuckled a bit through his nose and turned around. They watched him walk away for a moment, wondering what the deal was.

"Bang. What's wrong? You bailing?" Atomic Samurai asked.

Bang continued walking, not slowing his pace, but he did respond. "Going up there now is pointless. We are no longer needed here." he said, further confusing them.

"What are you talking about? We've gotta get up there and help." Metal Bat said.

"This battle is now far beyond our reach… The man up there fighting… he seeks no recognition for his deeds… no fame… he only seeks the thrill of a battle worth fighting… A challenge… Perhaps he has met his match here today, but… I don't think that's possible…"

* * *

Saitama was implanted, leaving his entire bodies imprint in the surface. At first he wasn't sure if it were the top of the ship or in the ground. Upon closer inspection, it was neither. He was on the moon! Pulling himself from the hole, he suddenly realized he couldn't breathe. Pinching his nose, he looked across at the earth, trying to judge how hard he'd need to jump to make it. Testing the gravity a bit with a rock, he nodded and tossed it aside. With a great big leap, he was gone, cracking the surface from the force of his jump.

* * *

 **AN: Okay, here we are. The Saitama and Boros fight, if you couldn't tell, pretty much follows the canon version to a tee, only deviating with where it began. Anyways, tell me what you think. If you love it, hate it, whatever.**

 **Question: What One Punch Man character do you find you most relate with? For me, I'd say… Genos. Always climbing to reach a goal, never quite where I want to be. Such is life I suppose.**


	6. The Search

**What It Means**

 **AN: Welcome back! Now, some warning for this chapter, there's not much action, but there is a lot of set up. So, be prepared. Also, I've been thinking on bringing this specific character back in for a while, and I have decided to do it.  
He's more just for comedic relief, but I like his story, so he's here. You'll understand when you read it. Please enjoy.  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Tatsumaki laid there, flat on her back. Barely clinging on to her last bit of consciousness. She had been out for a minute just a while ago, but some kind of loud blast woke her. She still couldn't see a thing with the unreasonable amount of her own blood covering her eyes. She was so exhausted that she couldn't even bring her arm up to wipe them clean.

'Did I... did I lose?' She questioned mentally. She tried to turn her head one way or the other, but it just wasn't happening right now. 'Oh… If I lost, then that must mean…' Her own thoughts drawled off, not even wanting to believe the possibility of total damnation. Especially at the hands of her own failure. That, she just couldn't handle.

'I… I'm sorry…'

That apology was issued to everyone who put their faith in her. Everyone watching who believed she could actually win this. That was a mournful apology to everyone who was going to die for her weakness. She had essentially written them all off at this point, not even considering there being someone to step up and save them. Her head was spinning miles a minute. It was only when a bit of focus came back did she finally start to remember a little bit of what happened before she blacked out.

As soon as her eyes shut for the first time – in the very moment in which she all but accepted her death – they were jerked open when her body was yanked from its spot.

'… Wait… did someone…'

(BOOM!)

* * *

Boros's lone eye was as wide as it could possibly be, watching the sudden crater that appeared on his ship, landing with such a force that it actually made the ship dip down. What power… Conflicting feelings overcame him as he watched his opponent casually come marching out of his landing mark, a small smile on his face and not many injuries.

"Oh… I made it." Saitama said plainly.

"You…" Boros growled out, starting towards him in a slow trot that began picking up speed fairly quickly. "You really make me… want to GO ALL OUT!" he cried out, attacking with a ferocity Saitama hadn't seen yet.

* * *

"w-.. what?" Tatsumaki's meek voice echoed out at hearing the voice of the man who almost killed her. "w-… who…" She could feel the blasts, the rumbles, the impacts!

(in the distance) "Consecutive normal punches."

"w-who is t-…" She struggled to turn her head. She was successful to some degree, turning enough to catch a glimpse of what looked like a splatter of blood that quickly pulled back into itself forming, oddly enough, the enemy she knew to be called Boros. The captain of this ship and presumably the strongest. Only, he looked a bit different than her hazy memory recalled. There were too many pieces of rubble blocking her view of who he was fighting. "t-… Tch!" She struggled out, trying to lift a hand up to the pieces. She was exhausted, completely depleted of her psychic powers, but even so. She had to know who it was that was fighting this monster!

Regardless of how tired she is, she knew that that monster is far from weak. She watched as he was unaffected by Geryuganshoop's gravity technique as well as her own. He easily defeated Demon Cyborg without taking a single scratch. She wasn't too impressed with the cyborg herself, but that was definitely a feat. From his outburst a moment ago, it seems he is being pushed to his limits by something. Perhaps the same something that defeated the Sea King!? It was a long shot, but she had to know!

(BOOM!)

A huge blast of energy caught her hazy vision as she saw a very bright light emanate from Boros's airborne body. Again, with all the blood in her eyes, she couldn't see too well, but she could tell what was happening. That was an unbelievable amount of energy build up.

(in the distance) "I WILL DEFEAT YOU! All of my energy will be released! Blasting you and this planet to HELL!"

She had to stop in her venture to move the rubble by the sheer force of the wind. There was so much power being exerted that she couldn't help but shut her eyes and turn away. It was simply too overwhelming. But, by the grace of god, that wind was strong enough to do something useful. She flinched slightly when the rubble that was previously blocking her path skipped right over her, landing brutally on a robot that she hadn't seen laying next to her. It continued on, taking the hunk of metal with it. This is it! This is her chance to see who it is!

(In the distance) "COLLAPSING STAR, ROARING PLANEEEEET!"

Too late, it seemed. A huge blast of energy was heading her way. Not that she cared much. She couldn't do anything about it. What she did care about was seeing who this mysterious hero is. Thanks to the lighting of the attack, only a silhouette could be seen. It was definitely a man, more so on the slim side. A head full of flowing hair (or was that a tattered cape) she didn't know, there was too much going on. Regardless, he's just standing there…

'Get out of there…. You're gonna die, stupid…' she thought tiredly, no urgency to the tone, even within her head.

She couldn't really hear anything over the roar of the impeding blast, but she thought she caught a glimpse of his voice. But… probably not good enough to hear what he actually said. It sounded too ridiculous to her.

(In the distance [what she THOUGHT she heard]) "Serious series: Serious Punch."

She stared at the scene with glazed eyes, barely clinging to her conscious state. She watched as this man cocked his fist back in a normal punching stance. Not any martial artsy stance or even a trained boxers form. It looked like just a regular guy out on the street getting ready to punch something. "Tch… Idiot…" she muttered out. It didn't matter. He'd be dead soon, then, that blast would reach her in seconds, killing her too. Then, it would probably tear through the sh-..

(BOOM!)

Her blood covered eyes widened in shock when she watched the beam of energy seemingly split down the middle! By a punch no less! A single punch! What the hell is this!? It was too much for her already fading consciousness to focus on. Her vision grew blurrier and blurrier. Despite the unbelievably loud sound that their colliding attacks made as the ship around them was being disintegrated, she couldn't hold on anymore. Even with the unbelievable shockwave rattling the hunk of metal beneath her. She had far exceeded her stamina. The last thing she saw before her world faded to black was that silhouette. A silhouette that reminded her of one scene in particular. The first time she was ever saved… all those years ago…

"… b-… blast…" Her final words.

* * *

(1 week later)

"… Ah… I see." Saitama uttered with a plain expression on his face. "So, you have figured it out…"

"… mmm… I don't know…" An elderly woman said, standing across from him on the other side of his clerk counter. She had two different water bottles in her hand, apparently trying incredibly hard to decide which one she wanted, a slew of other groceries on the counter between them. "… Hmm… Sparkling… or spring…"

. . .

Saitama scratched his nose, waiting patiently.

. . .

. . .

He peeked up at the clock behind his head. She had now been there for two minutes, struggling with this very pressing decision.

. . .

"o- see, now this one says it's voted as the best water you can drink, more trustworthy than other brands, but… this one says it is a taste that people have reliably enjoyed." She explained to him for no real reason. "I… I don't know, what do you think, young man?"

"Hm?" Saitama responded, raising an eyebrow. He hadn't been listening all that much. With how she was holding the bottles up to him, he figured she wanted him to decide. "Oh, well. I would personally prefer spring water. I don't much like the after taste of sparkling."

"Ah, I see." She uttered, examining them further. "…"

. . .

"Dah, I should just get them both." She finally relented, placing them both on the counter and reaching into her bag for the money. "My husband's the picky type. He's not as adventurous as he used to be. Normally I get him the mineral water, which he loves, but you seem to be out of that. Truthfully I don't want to walk to another store to look for it just for them to be out as well. I'm already so close to home and all. Besides, I think it'll be good to switch things up every now and then. Keeps things interesting. He may not even notice as preoccupied as he's been. I mean, he's retired, but he still seems to be so busy with the way he follows the news and the hero organization. He's been following coverage of the aftermath at City-A all week. Did you know they already added to the HQ? Built an entirely new facility there. Truly amazing how fast that Metal Knight works, isn't it?"

She continued her one-sided conversation as Saitama finished bagging the rest of her items with a confused look on his face, having zoned out long ago. 'Is she monologuing about water?'

Eventually, he got her set and on her way out the door. "Okay, you have a nice day, young man!" She called out as she made it. "Oh, thank you, you're very kind." She said to someone who held the door for her.

As she stepped out, the new body stepped in.

"Oh, Genos. You're early." Saitama said.

"Yes Master. I apologize, but I did not have much to do today. Things have been relatively quiet with monsters. I assumed if you were busy, I would assist you until your shift is over." The cyborg explained.

Saitama glanced back to the clock. "Ah. Well, I don't think there's much more I need to do. I clock out in five minutes."

"I see. Then, I shall wait, Master." He replied with a bow.

"… Okay."

* * *

(Thirty minutes later)

Saitama and Genos walked their way down the street with grocery bags in their hands. "I believe that was all that was on the list Master Saitama."

"Yeah. I think so." The bald man replied.

"If there was something else you desire, I can retrieve it."

"No, no. I think I've got e-.." Saitama stopped when the crowd of people in front of them began running away, panicked screams flying about as they fled. "Huh?"

"It seems there is trouble Master!" Genos said urgently, looking at the threat that wasn't all that hard to spot. Before them was a huge metallic robot, standing in the middle of the path, looking down on a blonde-haired man in casual street wear.

"What's all this about?" Saitama questioned curiously.

Genos took a moment to survey the scene before coming to a possible conclusion. "I see." He said, getting his master's attention. "That man over there is former S-Class, Rank 7 member, King, who has recently revealed he is in fact not a hero at all. Only a normal man who just so happens to be around when monsters are near. It appears that this news has not yet reached all of the villains quite yet. This robot seems to have challenged him."

"Ah." Saitama uttered with little care. "Maybe you should go and help him then."

"Very well, Ma-.."

"FOR EVERY MINUTE AFTER, I SHALL KILL ONE HUMAN!" The robot announced as King walked off, feigning indifference until he was in the clear.

* * *

(click-clack-clickity-clickity-clack)

With a lollipop in his mouth and a plain look on his face, Child Emperor typed rapid fire on his keyboard, his eyes glued to the screen before him. Removing his lollipop with the help of one of his robotic extra arms, he spoke. "I don't know, Tornado. We never get a clear shot of the guy. It's either he's really good at hiding everything above his shoulders, or it's just dumb-luck." He explained.

The green haired woman he was speaking to floated up by the big screen he was projecting images onto. Her head still wrapped in bandages from her most pressing battle to date. "There's no way! There has to be at least one shot of him somewhere!"

"I'm not seeing anything clear enough for me to analyze." He replied.

"Well, how useless are you!? You can't cross check what we DO know about him with the association heroes?" She asked, her desperation very apparent.

"I've done that." He said. "It's no good. Too broad."

"Too broad? What do you mean too broad?" She demanded.

"All we know is that it's a man in a yellow suit with red gloves. There are 127 registered heroes who match that description." He informed.

"Well, how many are upper B-class or higher?" She asked.

"Why cut out the low B's and C's?" He asked.

She gave him a look that said all it needed to. "He just took down a creature that I couldn't beat. Of course, it's not gonna be some no name loser in C-class." She said.

"Well, you never know." He uttered plainly beneath his breath. He continued typing until he was able to cut it down to 46 possibilities. Then, when he did that, he took it a step further by cross referencing facial recognition of the bunker cameras to see who all was accounted for. That cut the list down considerably to 23.

Tatsumaki could see everything he was doing and was desperately watching, hoping to find her mystery hero. She wasn't a foolish little girl anymore. This venture was not some damsel in distress trying to find her savior to express her undying love. Absolutely not. That would be far beneath her. This was about finding the one person who was worthy enough to take that number 1 hero spot. The one person who can stand above all, no matter the threat. Losing for a second time made her realize more so than before that she could not do that. She'd end up dead if she tried.

That is why she was so invested in this search. Her desperate eyes watched the list of heroes on the screen dwindle little by little when Child Emperor ruled them out. Eventually there were only about 4 left. Of the 4, she just couldn't believe they were possibilities. All mid-B class with special weapons. She was sure she hadn't seen that man use any weapons. I mean, he punched a freaking world ending technique. He'd have no use for a weapon.

[0 out of 0]

. . .

"Whelp." Child Emperor uttered, sitting back with a stretch. "Looks like we're at another dead end."

Tatsumaki was getting frustrated now. "We-.. Is that all you can do!?" She demanded.

"What? With this little information, it can't be helped. I mean, did you honestly think we were gonna find this guy based strictly off the color of his outfit?" The kid argued.

"No! I just thought that someone renowned for his intelligence wouldn't be a complete waste of time. Guess that's too much to ask from a brat like you."

"You're the one that looks like a brat." He muttered a little too quickly. "e-.. Urgh!" He gasped as he looked up to her in fear. She was still looking at the screen, but she seemed a lot stiffer. "t-… Tornado, uh… i-I mean, maybe when he reappears I can come back and help you! I mean.. I can keep looking for you! It's no problem at all!"

She was still staring at the screen, but he could see her magical aura increase by the second. Slowly, but surely, he tried backing up to the door.

"i-I normally charge for these types of sessions, but for you, it's on the house! I-I mean, it's ALWAYS on the house! w-Whenever you need me, just call! Heh-heh… Please, let me go."

The door suddenly swung open before he could make it. He turned back fearing the worst, only to be greeted with someone unexpected.

"a-.. Atomic Samurai! Thank god you're here! Tatsumaki needs your help! Everything you need is already up on screen, I mean, as much as we know anyways, heh heh!" He then directed his attention at Tatsumaki who was now facing their direction, eyeing him down with nothing more than malicious intent. "h-He was there when the ship came down! So, m-maybe he saw something strange, or someone!" As fast as he could he took off running down the hall, calling back to the man he led to the slaughter in his place. "Please, do your best!

"Whoa, kid. What the hell's this all about?" Atomic Samurai questioned as he watched the tech savvy child take off. "Man, Tornado. You're as ruthless a-.."

"You were there!?" She demanded, suddenly in his face.

"Hey, hey. Back up, will ya?" He replied, stepping around her to look at the screen. "I was-.. Oh, you mean at the ship? Yeah, I stayed behind. Just wanted to make sure the job got handled before I just took off."

"So, did you see who this was!? The man wearing this suit, did you see him!?" She yelled, poking at the screen. This was the verge of a breakthrough.

Atomic Samurai squinted and rubbed his chin a bit in thought. "Uhhh… I'm not… Oh, wait!" He said loudly, as if he had a big revelation come to mind. "That's our supposed hero, huh? Man, I was expecting someone with a little more muscle mass."

Tatsumaki gave him a dumbfounded look before shaking his comment away and asking again. "Pay attention you dummy! I said, did you s-.."

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you! And no, I didn't see the guy." He could see her disappointment almost immediately. "He was gone long before that ship reached the ground. Just took off somewhere."

"… damn it." She muttered under her breath. With a deep sigh, she remained there, floating, wondering what her next move was.

"Lookin for your savior huh?" Atomic Samurai asked with a teasing tone to his voice.

"It doesn't concern you, get out of here." She uttered dangerously.

The samurai waved her anger off and took a seat at the long table of theirs. "Heh, no worries Tornado. Your secret's safe with me."

"w-.. What secret!? Shut up!" She yelled at him. "I just want to find him."

"Hey, I get it. He didn't just save you. He saved all of us in a way. So… I guess that means I sorta owe him one. I wouldn't mind findin' him myself."

She eyed him with an untrusting gaze. Regardless, having another person searching wouldn't change much at a dead end. "Doesn't matter now. We've got no way to find him."

"Ah, I wouldn't say that. We could always just ask."

Shock overtook Tatsumaki like a shot of adrenaline and her gaze shot over to him like a bullet. "Ask!? What do you mean ask!?"

Her gaze was unreadable to him in that moment. She seemed ready to hit him with all she had, yet ready to sprint off all at the same time. "u-.. Uh, Bang. Apparently, the old man knows who this guy is."

It seemed the name took a moment to register in her busy mind as she muttered it beneath her breath, trying to get a taste of it.

"I doubt it'll be that easy though. I mean, we've already tr-…"

(Thoom!)

She jet out the room faster than he was prepared for. He watched her trail of green aura travel down the hall and round the corner. "Heh… Dumb brat." He muttered. He sat back in his chair and set his sheathed sword in his lap, shutting his eyes for a nap. "Didn't let me finish…"

* * *

King made it to his new apartment, completely out of breath, his new game in hand, and his heart still pounding as audibly as possible. He hunched over in exhaustion, trying as hard as possible to keep the tears brimming in his eyes from falling. 'Why!? Why is this still happening to me!?' He mentally demanded. This should have stopped when he outed himself! Yet, still monsters seem to be inexplicably attracted to him. This was a problem he's had for years. It's why all this mess started happening in the first place. He was just always conveniently in the vicinity of powerful creatures that end up getting destroyed before they kill him. The heroes never stuck around, so it seemed to the people who witness it that he himself was the hero who saved them.

It happened three times before he realized people were mistaking him for the one responsible. Hell, he didn't know until a letter from the Hero Association came to his mailbox, decreeing him KING, the S-Class rank 7 member, Strongest Man Alive! Before he knew it, there were toys popping up for him, comic books, he was sitting in on S-Class meetings, getting calls to face creatures that would kill him in seconds, etc. It was something he should have denied the very moment they sent that letter, but… truthfully, he was behind on his rent by more than a few months.

It's not like he was planning on exploiting the misunderstanding, but one of the Hera Association representatives ambushed him as he was speaking with his landlord seeking an extension. The rep told the manager he need not worry about the issue. He paid his past due rents and had King's stuff being moved to a high-class suite before he could deny it! He was so shocked he couldn't speak until he was dragged to his first S-Class meeting to be introduced to the others. How could he fess up in the face of people he's admired for years now!? Bang! Tornado of Terror! Atomic Samurai!? In the end, he just couldn't do it. He accepted the title and played along for as long as possible.

Just as terrible as his luck was when it came to running into unbelievably strong villains, his luck with avoiding the battles was equally amazing. Normally, the tales alone of his deeds warded off the monsters. They feared the story of his King Engine. Simply hearing it made them turn tale and run. But, on the off chance he was met with an overconfident foe whom wanted to test King's power, there was unbelievably always someone else there he could pass it off to. A simple, 'Tch… this creature is not worth my time. I leave this to you.' And he was out of there!

'Heh… how stupid. I stole that line from a video game boss…'

Being outed was a bitter sweet feeling for him. On the one hand, he avoided a lot more confrontations as he wasn't being dragged to them by the Association, but… everybody hated him. He couldn't show his face anywhere without getting glares and hateful murmurs calling him a cowardly fool. That wasn't his only problem. He was also ignored by the heroes… By that, he meant it in a literal sense. No matter if he were in trouble or not. He was being chased just the other day by a low level wolf villain. In his mad sprint for his life, he witnessed countless heroes C to A class ignore his pleas and walk on by, only stepping in when the creature took interest in someone else.

Since then, he's been more or less a hermit. He stays within his home, only leaving to gather food. He still had his last check from the Hero Association he was living off of. They, for whatever reason, chose to let him keep it. Likely out of pity. With calculations, this new apartment of his, nestled just on the border of City Y, could house him for at least 6 months. Hopefully his notoriety will dissipate enough by then to find work. Despite his tight money situation, he couldn't help but allow one impulsive buy. Just for today at least…

"Ah… finally." He muttered as he sat down on his couch, looking at his screen. There was a flashy looking intro with beautifully, somewhat girly, artwork appearing on the screen. "Heh, the Heartbeat Hottie Sisters series always aces their intros." He muttered.

([Hey big fella! What can I call you?])

"Hmm… my name… Using my real name would be lame…" He thought about it for a moment. "What should I name my character…"

"How bout King?"

"Heh. Nah. It'd feel kind of weird using my hero na-.. eh?" He spun around, realizing that that voice was not in his head. He was greeted to someone he didn't know. "Huh!? Who are you? You're not supposed to just barge into other people's house!"

"Huh?" Saitama uttered, scratching his cheek. "The door was open."

King looked over to his balcony. 'This is the 6th floor.' Regardless, he looked back to the plain looking man. "l-Look… if you're here t-… to teach me a lesson or something…" He dropped to the ground with his forehead pressed against the wooden floor in a low bow. "Please! Don't! I am terribly sorry for deceiving everyone! I'm sorry!"

"Hm?" Saitama looked down at him curiously. 'Teach him a lesson…' He glanced over to his television. "Who would've thought someone like you plays games like that." He said, ignoring his pleas.

King stopped his groveling when his stomach dropped. "t- ah! n-No! I don't! i-I just left the game store! I think I got the wrong game! I don't even know what that is! i-It's for my niece! I swear!" he spewed out in a panic. He's already a disgrace. He didn't need something like this getting out too.

Saitama pulled another case up. "This one seems fun." He said, showing it to him.

To say King was confused was an understatement. He was absolutely baffled. What the heck was this guy doing here if it wasn't to hurt him? ". . . o-Oh, yeah. That's an action game. . ."

"Ah… can we play?"

* * *

"Charanko… You must remember to always remain focused." Bang said, pacing behind his top student who was struggling in his daily exercises. "Martial arts involves battles that can be won and lost due to the simplest mistake on either side. Your goal is to force those mistakes from your enemy while maintaining your own composure."

"Yes, Master Bang!" The awkward man yelled in reply. They were standing out on the cliff where his dojo rested, enjoying the warm weather and slight breeze.

"It is important to always remain vigilant, no matter the situation. If you are ever pressured into a situation that does not suit you, then change it. It is a simple philosophy, but true nonetheless."

"Yes, Master Bang!"

With a sigh, Bang took a seat next to a small table where his tea sat, still fairly warm. He watched his student for a moment more.

. . .

"That is enough for today, Charanko. Be sure to keep up your training on your own as well." He instructed.

"Yes, Master Bang!" With that, he jogged inside, leaving his master there to his lonesome.

Bang took a sip of his tea and continued looking out over the empty area of City Z. ". . . Would you care for some Tea, Tatsumaki?" He questioned as the girl in question floated in from over the roof.

"Bang." She said. "The man in the yellow suit. Who is he?" She demanded.

The old man smiled at her. "Ah. I see. So you also seek to know?" He questioned.

She seemed confused. "Who else has approached you about this?" She asked.

He shut his eyes in thought. "Hmm… Atomic Samurai, Metal Bat, Zombie Man, and Flashy Flash have all come seeking his identity. I have sent them all away, just as I must regretfully do to you." He answered.

"Tch, why!?" She demanded. "What, is it a student of yours or something!? Your grandson!?"

"Hoh-hoh-hoh!" Bang laughed out. "No, no. It is nothing like that, I assure you." He said.

"Then, what is it!?" she asked, getting annoyed.

Bang sighed and looked into her intense eyes. He figured he knew what her business was, but to clarify, he asked her. "Why do you wish to know his identity, may I ask?"

She grew frustrated by his run around ways. "It's not your business, Bang! I just need to know who it is! That's all you need to know about it!"

He smiled again. "I can't imagine…" He muttered lowly, but loud enough for her to hear. His eyes were closed in such a way that she figured he must be considering it. "… It has been quite a long time since you've had to be saved… hasn't it, Tatsumaki."

"Tch.." She looked at him daringly, but she held her tongue for the moment.

"Not since, Blast, I presume. And, now. This man has done so twice. I wonder what you will do when you meet him."

"So, it was him?" She asked, eyeing him closely. He seemed not to notice his slip of the tongue. "He's also the one who defeated the Sea King! I knew it!"

In an effort to cover his mistake, he put a hand up. "w-.. Well, that is the popular opinion anyways." He said. "I read about it online."

"Oh, don't give me that crap you old geezer! I know you don't have a computer!" she said, shutting his efforts down. "Now, tell me his name, or I will not leave!"

The old man just smiled and shook his head. "I understand what being put in such a situation can feel like… I understand you likely feel some form of debt to this man, bu-.."

"You don't understand anything! It has nothing to do with that!" she corrected. "I just… I need to speak with this man…"

. . .

"For what purpose would that be?" He questioned.

She was beyond her limit of irritation. "Ugh! It doesn't matter. It does not concern you, Bang. I just have something to talk to him about… that's all…"

Despite her words, he was determined to figure her vendetta out. Thinking back on the after math of the Sea King attack, watching her desperately searching for the hero who saved them, he had the shallow belief that perhaps she had thought Saitama to be Blast, the hero long gone. It was the thought of many. Then, just a week ago – in a very heroic way similar to Blast himself – he shows up out of nowhere to save her life just in the nick of time. She must be in denial, believing him to still be alive. If he is to send her to Saitama, she will only be disappointed… or, she views herself as unworthy for the Rank 1 position… Either way, her meeting Saitama is pointless.

"Tatsumaki… the man you are searching for is someone who has chosen to live his life, not as a hero, but as a normal man. He has no desire to be a hero. He seeks, more than anything, a challenge. If there is ever a time in which the world is at stake, he will be there to face the threat, not for heroic purposes, but for the purpose of the challenge. Knowing him or not knowing him makes no difference. He does not seek fame or fortune. He has no desire to rejoin the Hero Association. It is best to leave him b-.."

"Rejoin?" She asked, picking that piece out of everything. "So, he was once a member!? t-… there's no way… unless…"

"u-.. n-No, no. Heh. You must excuse my elderly tongue. It would seem I am not all there these days."

He continued explaining his peace, but she was no longer listening. Instead, his words from before ran through her head. 'He seeks a challenge… if the world's at stake…? . . . rejoin…' All of that sounded very familiar to her, but… 'It couldn't be… that sounds like… but… they said he's dead!' Thinking more on it, she pictured the image in her mind yet again. The image that has been plaguing her thoughts for a week now. The few images that they were able to retrieve from the final battle. He was far skinnier than she remembered. His voice was also not as deep… but, everything else seemed to fit, if even a bit.

"-and for that reason, I believe speaking with him, is pointless… I am sorry to inconvenience you, but should he ever return to the Association, I shall inform you of his name." Bang said, giving her the same shtick he gave the others.

She finally returned to reality, glaring at the old man. "Fine! Whatever! I'll find him, myself! I don't need you!" She shot away, leaving Bang there to sigh at the predicament.

'Even now that you have quit, you are still quite a bit of trouble, Young Saitama.'

* * *

"I see." Saitama muttered, staring at the game that he was currently getting destroyed in. King had just finished explaining his tale to him. Starting at where the whole misunderstanding began and telling him of how it's been since he confessed.

"So… I just kind of stay inside as much as possible. I don't go out unless I need something. Even now, when I do, there always seems to be some monster lurking around."

"Did you enjoy it?" Saitama asked, receiving a questioning glance from the man. "… Being a hero, I mean." He said.

King turned back to the game, mindlessly thrashing Saitama with absolutely no effort. "… I don't know. I suppose it paid well, even without me doing anything, but… It was far too frightening. I would prefer a normal job from now on… If only I could find someone to hire me."

Saitama glanced over to him out the side of his eye. He turned back to the screen to see that he had lost… again. "tch…"

* * *

(The next day)

"w-Wow!" King uttered, holding up a shirt in front of him as if examining it. "i-I can't believe it! They actually hired me!" he said, talking to Saitama who was next to him wearing his uniform. "Oh man! I almost forgot how great I was at interviews! It was one of the few things I was good at, after all."

Saitama gave him a disbelieving look. 'It's only because I vouched for you.' he thought. They continued down the road towards City-Z's gate, chatting about the mechanics of their latest game. Before they made it to far, they were called. More precisely – and unsurprisingly – King was called.

"King…"

"Hm?" The man in question called out as they both turned to the voice. To their surprise, there were two men in suits standing in the middle of the road, eyeing him down. One, a man with a rather large build and an unsightly butt chin that was hard to look at. The other, a smaller, much thinner man with a bit of chin hair on display. His most striking feature, a set of well groomed eyelashes "u-.. uh… can I help you?"

They began to approach the two at a slow pace, explaining their reasoning along the way. "We are representatives of the Blizzard Group underneath Fubuki the Hell Blizzard." The big man said.

"We have been sent here to teach you a lesson, in a sense." The smaller one muttered with a menacing look.

King immediately tensed up at the news, taking a timid step back.

"You must understand that your actions in penetrating the S-Class rank so shamefully cannot be forgiven." The bigger one said.

"As Hell Blizzards top men, we've been sent to ensure you understand the full extent of your crime. The S and A rank members may overlook you for your foolishness, but we are not that merciful. You will not escape unscathed!"

(Bang!)

The two were sent flying, screaming along the way. King's jaw dropped like a stone at seeing the display of power that such a lackluster punch had. Before he could even fully process the situation, Saitama had already turned around and continued walking. "Who were those guys?" The bald man muttered. Eventually, King snapped out of his daze and jogged to catch up with him, peeking back every now and then to ensure they were down. "Anyways, I was just saying that if we share loot, we have a better chance at accomplishing goals and defeating the bigger boss's together."

* * *

(Hours later)

"We're sorry, Miss Fubuki!" The two suited men yelled their apologies from their bowed positions. They had just explained that their mission was interrupted as King was being accompanied by a formidable opponent. One who took them both out before they knew what happened.

"… hmm… Very well." She said as they picked their heads up. "We cannot have two of our best taken out by a mere civilian. We'd better give this man a visit and correct the issue. Find out where he lives…"

* * *

 **AN: I should stop here. Not much action, I know, but it's more of a set up chapter. I was going to continue for a bit, but I don't want the chapter to run on too long now. So, as you can tell, we're pretty much gonna follow the ark of Season 2 from here on out. I'm not sure when season 3 will be dropping, but I can assure you I will warn before dropping spoilers if you're an anime only watcher. I've read a bit of the webcomic so, I've got some plans for how this is all gonna end. It's pretty deep in there… that was unintentionally dirty… OKAY, question time!**

 **Question: What did you think of the ending to Season 2 of the Anime?**

 **Personally, it felt so strange to me… A little bitter honestly. Like I said, I read up on the webcomic, so I kind of witnessed the whole Monster Association ark and all before the Anime dropped and honestly, I was not expecting it to end it where it did. It feels like they just split an ark in half. I don't know. A little disappointing, but it does leave me in anticipation for season 3. So, I still can't wait! Let me hear your thoughts on this, till next time.**


	7. Who Are You

**What It Means**

 **AN: Hello everyone! Welcome back! So, this chapter is not as long, but it is fairly exciting, nonetheless. A few exciting set ups and funny misunderstandings. Please, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

Tatsumaki stared at the screen with an intense focus on her usually irritated visage. Still, three days after her roadblock of asking Bang, she was at a loss for who this mysterious man is. Her conversation with the old fart wasn't completely useless, however. It simply raised far more questions than it answered. The big question right now was, could this really be Blast? His uniform wasn't the same, he's far more slim, and his voice isn't as deep. Those all threw a wrench into that possibility, but… his words, his motives (according to Bang) were so… similar. Far too similar to be coincidence.

Then again, with as big of a hero as Blast was, there wasn't a person alive who didn't know how he operated. Every loser on every internet forum who had nothing better to do could spout off the fact that Blast only did hero work as a hobby. It was pretty much public knowledge. That being said, this could just be a copy-cat. Someone who acknowledged Blast to an extreme degree then inexplicably acquired powers. There were so many possibilities and none that made more sense than the first.

Another question that arose for her was that, if this is Blast, then what would be the point of HQ lying about his death? It didn't seem to make too much sense. If he's alive and well and still doing his whole wait-till-the-last-minute/it's-just-a-hobby deal, then there'd be no reason to proclaim he's dead. None of it made sense to her, but she was determined to find out. Whether she had to do it herself, or not.

Despite her incessant search for this unknown, she still had to be vigilant about the happenings of the cities. She is the unofficial top hero still. The monitor next to the one she was examining had the news on, displaying the latest in Hero Watch news. Nothing of major importance it seemed. A slight increase in monster activities (nothing above Tiger level), news on those who've recovered successfully from the invasion, and some new villain warning. A man calling himself the 'Hero Hunter' who apparently took down Tank Top Hero. For anyone else it'd be fairly big news, but (in Tatsumaki's opinion) he wasn't worth an S-Class ranking in the first place. All in all, nothing of great importance.

Looking back to the screen before her, she stared at his yellow jump suit with a sigh. "… Who are you?"

* * *

Saitama sat lazily on his couch, watching some kind of infomercial that was trying to sell what looked like a dog grooming glove. He had just gotten off of his morning shift and was waiting for Genos to finish his lunch. Had to eat something before his afternoon shift kicked in. With all the free time from no longer being a hero, he was just trying to fill his time doing something productive. With a yawn, he wiped the sleepiness from his eyes and continued doing what he's done a lot these days. A whole lot of nothing. In honesty, he wasn't sure what all he was expecting from trading in hero work for his normal job. He had thought it'd be less disappointing since he was aware his daily routine would be boring, but it was actually just the same.

It's strange, it seemed as though he's run into way more monsters in the past three days than he had when he was vehemently searching them out to make his weekly quota for C-Class. Perhaps it's just coincidence, but it always seemed to happen when he was walking to and from work with King. Maybe he truly is a magnet for trouble.

Regardless, Saitama didn't mind. The monsters weren't really all that troubling after all. Not that he'd know if they were or not. He found hanging out with King to be rather fun, if he had to put it simply. It wasn't really fun… more like entertaining. It gave him something to strive towards again. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't seem to beat him in any game. It was frustrating, but it was also a challenge he hadn't run into in quite some time. That bitterness of loss, the rush he feels when he's got King's health bar on the brink of dissipating, the… disappointment when the bastard somehow comes back without taking a single hit… Regardless, it was a way to pass the time.

Why had he followed King that day? A question the man himself asked him. He couldn't really explain it… mainly because he just didn't care to, but it likely had something to do with King being another hero who left the organization. Their circumstances were of course different, but there was some similarity there. Enough to catch Saitama's attention at the least. Thinking back to who he used to be before his training, he somewhat understood. Times were tough all around in the world of regular everyday business. If by chance he were mistaken for completing a task that earned him enough money to pay rent, perhaps he would have accepted the accolades as well. So, that's why he didn't hold that same grudge over the disgraceful S-Class phony that everyone else did. He understood the situation. Plus, King admitted to likely claiming more than a few of his monster take downs and apologized. So, what was there to be mad about?

(knock, knock, knock)

Speak of the devil, King walked in, holding his hand-held gaming device and a new videogame case. "Saitama. I found the original disk. I can loan it to you, if you'd like."

"Sure. Just put it on the table." The bald man replied, still lazily watching the infomercial.

King did as instructed and made his way over to the couch afterwards, plopping down himself. "What's for lunch?" He questioned casually.

"Ramen." Saitama uttered flatly, not in the least surprised by such a forward question.

"Ah. I see. If you would have me, I would love to join." He asked.

"I'm not the one cooking." Their conversation was handled in a very monotonous exchange that would likely put anyone else listening to sleep.

"Genos, may I join you for lunch?" King asked again.

"If Master Saitama allows it." The cyborg said, which didn't surprise them.

"He left it up to you."

"Okay…"

"Is that a yes? Or are you acknowledging that Genos has left the decision up to you?"

"It's a yes."

"Ah…"

A silence settled in that was so dull yet not completely uncomfortable. King had his nose in his game, Saitama was reading a manga, and Genos was adding the finishing touches to the recipe he found online. It was quiet, but not unwelcomed.

. . .

As Genos stirred the noodles in the pot, he suddenly stopped when his sensors picked up on something. 'Uh! A high-speed object is approaching. Humans can't move that fast. It must be a monster.' He peaked back to see Saitama lazily reading his manga, scratching the inside of his nose as needed. 'I should not involve Master in this. I will handle it myself. This gives me a chance to test out my new upgrades.'

Without a word, he removed the pot from the burner and stepped outside.

"Where did Genos go?" King's monotonous voice called out.

"-don't know." Saitama sluggishly replied.

. . .

* * *

"Show yourself." Genos demanded, watching as an oddly dressed man dropped down before him in a crouch. 'Human?' He sure didn't look like a monster. "What do you want?"

The man stood to his feet and took a few steps closer. "Tell Saitama to get out her. I gained information that says he lives here."

"Are you an acquaintance of Master Saitama's?" Genos questioned, unrelenting in his security efforts.

"I've run into you before." The man muttered, coming to a stop. "My name is Speed-O'-Sound Sonic. I am Saitama's rival. I've come here today to settle the score. If you understand, then stand aside. I have no business with you."

The name took a while to register, but it did eventually. "Speed-O'-Sound Sonic? So, it's you, you pervert. You dare claim to be Master Saitama's rival? Pathetic. Take one more step and you will be eliminated." He dared, the blaster in his palm already aimed and charging up.

A sick grin of excitement creeped onto Sonic's face. "Heh." He pulled a handful of high-tech shuriken from his equipment pouch, holding them up by his face. "You're the one who will be eliminated, sidekick." He said, insulting him.

* * *

(knock, knock, knock)

"Could you get that?" Saitama questioned, flipping the page of his manga.

King, still looking down at his game, replied in his usual tone of indifference. "It's your house. You should get it."

"You're closer." Saitama replied.

"But, it's your house."

"We're feeding you."

. . .

"Okay." King stood to his feet, still focused on his game, he walked flawlessly around the little bits of furniture in the path of the door.

(knock, knock-…)

He opened the door, still looking down at his game. "Yes?" he questioned, not even looking to see who it was. For a moment, he received no answer. Thinking it was just some kind of prank, he shut the door and began walking back.

(knock-knock)

With a sigh, he turned back around and headed back. This time when he opened up, he decided to see who it was. "Ye-…" His eyes met those of a hero he knew all too well. They had never met officially, but he's known of her since she debut with her sister, someone he actually has met. His jaw was stuck open in shock and fear. Quickly, his eyes darted to the two men on either side of her and in the small glimpses he got, he recognized them immediately as the men from the other day. Slowly, as to not warrant any sudden movements, he closed the door and stepped backwards, feeling around with his left hand.

"s-… sa-.. sa-… s-s… sa-…" He couldn't even manage to stutter out his words enough to get the bald man's attention. "sai-.. t-… sai-… tama…"

". . . Hm?" The bald man muttered, having heard enough to turn towards his friend. "What is it? Is it a package?"

"s-.. s-… th-… there's… a-… at the-.. door!" He finally uttered.

* * *

Fubuki stood on the other side of the door with a small smirk of satisfaction. Seeing King's shock and terror was something she had never really dreamt of before. It didn't mean as much now, of course, with him turning out to be a fraud and all, but even so. The level of fear she was able to instill in civilians was always something she found pleasing. Let her know the Hell Blizzard's organization wasn't just a joke to people.

(knock, knock, knock)

"Yes?"

She was shocked by the man that opened the door. The most striking feature on this man's person was… well, of course, his damn near reflectively bald scalp. How could anybody be so unfortunate?

"t-That's him boss." Mountain Ape said, pointing him out to her.

"Yeah. That's the guy." Eyelashes reiterated. "I don't know what his deal is, but he definitely caught us off guard last time."

Saitama looked between the two men with a raised eyebrow. ". . . Hm? Do I know you?" He questioned.

"Oh, don't play dumb now that you're in the presence of a TRUE hero! Unlike that spineless fool, King, Miss Fubuki is the real deal!" Mountain Ape roared out as if it were going to intimidate him.

He was trying to understand what was going on, but it was all just slipping his mind. "Who?" He asked in true confusion.

"Tch! Why you-!" Eyelashes started before he was stopped by the slender hand of his boss who silenced him.

"It's okay you two. Let him play this little game of his all he wants. Matter of fact, we can play along. "See, I -.. am the B-Class rank 1 hero, Hellish Blizzard. I am also the leader of the Hellish Blizzard organization and these two are my right-hand men." She introduced.

He shrugged casually. "Nope. Never hear of you."

That definitely ticked her off a bit, but she maintained her cool. "Heh. Well, you don't have to know who we are I suppose. We'll make sure you never forget us. Boys?"

"Hergh!" Mountain ape growled out, readying himself to charge. "You won't be getting the drop on us this time!"

"Yeah!" Eyelashes came in. "Let's show him what Miss Fubuki's top men can do!"

The two charged forward with sheer determination in their eyes. Determination that carried them blindly into the danger zone. Again, before they even knew what had happened, they were sent flying with a single punch, yelling out in fear of the fall.

"Ah!" Fubuki exclaimed, taking a step back in shock.

"What's their problem? You can't just knock on someone's door and attack them." He explained.

"w-What was that!? What did you do!?" Fubuki demanded with an angry scowl, her eyes narrowed down dangerously and her Esper powers slowly began rising.

Saitama simply gave her a confused look. "Hm?" He watched as she slipped the expensive looking fur wrap off her shoulders. "It was just a punch. Not even a full punch, really. Though, against guys like th-… Oh!" He exclaimed with something of surprise and a hint of amazement when her feet left the ground. "You can fly… cool." He didn't notice the wind until a stray news paper flew by, smacking him in the side of the face.

"… A punch, huh?" Fubuki asked menacingly, throwing her acting chops into the ring for intimidation purposes. 'He's trying to make a fool of the Blizzard group! He doesn't respect us… I will make him respect us… This unfortunately bald man will beg for forgiveness for disrespecting my top men!' She flew further away, watching as he looked around at all the debris flying around. "I will show you not to trifle with the likes of me and my men!"

Saitama's lazy eyes peaked from right to left. "Are you just gonna throw rocks around?" He questioned, slowing her rising frustration. "That's pretty lame. I mean, you don't even need telekinesis to do that."

She stared at him in disbelief. Did he… did he not understand his predicament right now!? Did he not realize the imminent threat before him? It's as if he were intentionally trying to rile her up! But, it was done with such a masterful dullness that she just had to believe he was just stupid! "Why you…"

"Hold on." He said simply as he stepped out of his room completely, shutting the door behind him. "… Okay."

Now she was pissed. Soon, he was swept up in the forming telekinetically created storm.

* * *

([Undisclosed location])

A room very much similar to the Hero HQ had a table with five surrounding chairs. Four of the seats occupied by individuals who were shaded in the darkness of the poorly lit room. Of these individuals one was rather small, almost child-like in stature. Another was the exact opposite, being rather huge. A menacingly humungous hand sat casually on the desk, a big heavy looking ring on each finger. The other two were of normal stature. One a woman it seemed if her seductively uncovered legs lying casually on the table said anything.

The next was, in contrast, clearly a man of rather normal, fairly, unassuming stature. In terms of sheer strength at first glance, many would probably see him as nothing more than a regular threat. Nothing that would warrant the attention of any B-Class hero at least. That was, however, just basing strictly off of his hands and chest size. The only visible things on him that weren't consumed by the darkness overhead. He sat at the head of this table of theirs with his hands folded and an unmistakable threatening air about him.

They all sat in a way that it was clear their attention was focused on the screen above. The screen displaying none other than the final footage of the most devastating attack the earth has had to date. The same still frame of this unknown hero in the yellow suit. The only useable piece of information.

The voice of one of the men – presumably the man at the head of the table – rang out over them. "As you can see, Tornado has a limit to her Psychic power. Success against her lies in drawing out the battle and letting her wear herself out. You're impressive, boy. You outclass her in power, without a doubt, but you lack the experience that she does. Heed these words."

"a-.. h-hai." A young boys meek voice echoed out.

He continued on, the screen switching to the battle of the S-Class heroes against Melzergard. "The Samurai and the delinquent shouldn't be a problem. We'll have them dealt with soon enough, but the Martial Artist. That's where we'll have some trouble."

"Trouble?" A sultry voice called out. "He's an old man. He may be spry, but his flexibility is something to be desired." Her voice was very slithery, snaking out in an incredibly seductive way.

"You take him lightly, you die." The man advised.

"I am no rookie." She replied. "I take no one lightly."

". . . Very well." The footage continued before stopping on a still shot of Genos. "He's not one of the tops of the S-Class yet, but I feel this one could be trouble. He must be eliminated early. This is not yet priority, just an early warning. He could be a target soon. For now, focus on the individuals I have brought to your attention." Grunts and nods of approval flew around.

"And what of this new hero? We didn't see much, but if he took down the big bad, he must be pretty impressive. What do we have for him?" The woman questioned.

. . .

"He is not an issue. Do as you're told." The other three funneled out, leaving only the man in his seat at the head of the table, staring across at the image up on the monitor. The image of the yellow suited hero. A bad feeling crept up his spine. ". . . Who are you?"

* * *

". . . Who are you!?" Tatsumaki whined out, watching the images of the happenings again. More importantly, the moment he saved her. She was in view as Boros prepared to drive that spike through her skull. Literally seconds away from death before she was saved. She's spent the day watching those few moments over and over again. Just as he stood to face the enemy, she rewinded and watched it again. She's never cared going further than that. From what Child Emperor has told her, there isn't much to it. Just the usual villainous monologuing and sounds of the battle. That wouldn't get her anywhere.

Then again, nothing was getting her anywhere. She's been at it for nearly two weeks now with no progress. No worthy monsters around to relieve her stress and no productivity has made her consider giving up this hunt for a ghost. Perhaps it truly is Blast and he just doesn't want to be involved with the Hero Association anymore. Maybe it's not him at all. The important thing is, whoever it is has stepped in twice when the world needed them. So… even if she doesn't find him… it's not like they're gone for good.

With a deep inhale and exhale, she slumped down in her seat, her legs stretched out completely and her arms raising up on the arm rests. Truly, she looked like a bored child. Her irritated gaze stared up at the screen just as the yellow suited man shot passed Boros, snatching her and saving her life. With little care to restart it anymore, she let the remote slip from her hand, hearing it clatter down on the floor.

Her frustrated gaze shifted over to the monitor displaying the news. To her relief, oddly enough, there was a rather sizable monster in City X. Perfect. She needed that stress relief right now. Floating up from her seat she turned and began to fly out of the room.

('m.. aster…')

She froze suddenly, that audio processing in her mind. Did someone just say… was that… was that someone on the film?

. . .

Nah. It couldn't be. Who else was up there? With that thought in mind, she continued on her way. She really did need this.

* * *

Fubuki's wide eyes were locked on the unbelievable display of speed being shown by this unknown assassin who was moving so fast that ten of his afterimages seemed to be attacking all at once, encroaching on the casually dressed bald man she had just tried to humiliate. A blast from none other than S-Class Rank 12 member, Demon Cyborg, however ended their little battle. She couldn't believe what she was seeing… hell, she couldn't believe what she just HEARD! An S-Class hero calling some regular looking civilian "master"!? What the hell is happening here!? It didn't seem like it was gonna matter anymore though. This assassin is out for blood.

'With a technique like that, there's no way he's gonna survive… m-Maybe I should step in. I am a hero after all. I can't let this villain kill a civil-..'

"Serious series… Serious sideways jumps."

. . .

". . . "AH!" Fubuki exclaimed in awe as she watched more than twenty of the bald man seeming as solid as possible. Such an incredible display of speed! Far exceeding that of anyone she's ever seen! How was that even possible!? This wasn't real!

"g-.. Gah!" Speed o' sound Sonic exclaimed before he succumbed to unconsciousness.

Saitama stopped his hopping, looking down at his fallen enemy in confusion. "oh-.. Sorry, Sonic. I didn't mean to knock you out. Perhaps I was going too far."

"Master, it would seem the force of your movements was enough to cause a shockwave. In his fall, he has caught the brunt of it." Genos deduced.

Saitama stared at him for a moment. ". . . Oh. Okay. He should be okay now. Come on. I'm hungry." With that, they began heading back up to his apartment, leaving Fubuki sitting there dumbfounded.

She gaped at the downed man before turning to the two heading in. "w-.. Wait!"

* * *

". . . Oh." King said with a plain gaze plastered on the TV. "You almost had me that time." He uttered gently.

An unreasonably furious Saitama was sat next to him, looking far more irritated than he's been since… well, the last few games. With a deep breath, he sighed and visibly calmed himself. ". . . One more." He demanded.

"No." King replied. "We'll be late for our afternoon shift."

"One more."

"You'll lose your perfect attendance which will disqualify you from over time."

The two began their childish back and forth in a casual manner that absolutely baffled the B-Class Rank 1 hero as she sat at the dining room table, an entire meal still in front of her. She then peaked back over to the Cyborg who was… washing dishes…

'. . . S-Class rank-12 member, Genos . . . is washing dishes . . .' She thought, not even able to comprehend the sight before her. 'I don't…'

"Master Saitama, I have already retrieved your work clothes from the washer. They have been ironed and pressed." Genos said sternly with a bow that the bald man didn't even acknowledge.

"o-Oh. Thank you.. Genos. I already told you, though. You don't have to do that every day." Saitama said.

Genos stood to his feet. "It is a pleasure for me to serve you in any way I can, Master Saitama. Doing this work is simply expected."

"Um… okay." Saitama muttered. "Thanks… good job."

A smile of content appeared on Genos's face. 'Master Saitama…'

'I don't understand!' Fubuki mentally yelled.

* * *

Tatsumaki sighed in irritation, looking at the balled up remains of the monster she just defeated. "-and here I thought you were gonna be a little fun." She murmured. "Stupid excuse for a demon level threat." As she flew away she thought on the video once more. More specifically, she thought on what she herself could remember. It was fuzzy, but she could vaguely picture the image of him standing in front of that big 'world destroying blast'.

She wanted to believe it…

She desperately wanted to believe it was Blast, but there were just too many things that disrupted that. Mainly, the physique. Whoever this is, they're obviously strong. Strong enough to punch an energy blast of that magnitude hard enough to completely dwarf it. Hard enough to split the clouds for miles (a little fact that she learned just recently). But, his physique was not as bulky as Blast's. Blast himself wasn't necessarily on the level of the Tank top gang, but he was definitely more defined. More so like Bang, only a little bigger.

There was also the power. Blast didn't just go around punching things. He was called blast for a reason. Raw strength was not the base of his abilities. Not that he wasn't strong, but there was a specific something that augmented his strength. Something that manifested in a physical way that she just didn't see. Of course, with that light in the way, it wasn't hard to assume that she just couldn't see it. Her vision was limited as it was. Even so, it was a stretch regardless.

Even if she could just believe all of that and link it to Blast, his voice didn't match. That she knew for sure. How could she be mistaken by that? Blast's words have been playing through her mind for years now. Telling her not to rely on others, saying things she wished he would say… the voice of that man was unmistakable to her. It was this new voice that threw her for a loop. It was so… familiar… so familiar, yet unfamiliar. Like, hearing someone you've had the briefest of conversations with in the past again. She was usually talking down to the lower class heroes, perhaps one of them actually spoke up to her as she was leaving?

(bzzz bzzz bzzzzzzzz)

She stopped flying, looking down at her phone. ([Monster Alert: City Y])

She wasn't sure, but if she heard it again, she was sure she would recognize it… 'Absolutely.'

* * *

(Bum-bum-bum-bum-bu-dum-bum)

The King Engine roared as King stared wide eyed at the scene before him, covered from head to toe in the green blood of the monster that just appeared, clearing the street before them aside from himself and Saitama who – despite being the one to actually defeat the creature – was completely clean! The bald man looked to his petrified friend as the rest of the monster (consisting of everything below it's stomach) fell over like an empty sack.

"Oh… Sorry, King. You should probably take this shift off. I am sure the manager will understand when I inform him of what happened." He offered, scratching the side of his face with an embarrassed smile. "… Uh… If Genos is still there, just tell him to give you some quarters and you can use our machine… Sorry, again. I'm heading on."

With that, the bald man casually marched on with a ridiculously goofy stride that was almost child-like, leaving King absolutely amazed yet again at the ease in which he defeated such an imposing creature. 'Saitama… what are you!?' Eventually, he found the strength to slump back towards Saitama's apartment. He'd get his clothes washed then he'd head in to work.

* * *

Tatsumaki came floating down, overlooking the aftermath of what looked like one hell of a one-sided battle. It was nothing but scattered guts and blood covering building after building… and yet, oddly enough, one clear spot. A spot nestled in the muck and grime in a way that she could tell someone had been standing there when this creature was blown to bits. More importantly, there were footsteps that pointed her in the direction this individual went.

([It is already defeated?]) The voice on her phone questioned.

"That's what I just said. Are you deaf?" She replied, irritated by yet another pointless call.

([No ma'am. I apologize. I just did not expect you to handle it so swiftly. It was reported as a definite demon, potential dragon level thre-..])

"It wasn't me." She quickly said, cutting the man off.

([o-.. Oh, I see… Well, then we wait for someone to claim it. I apologize for calling you so hastily.])

"Whatever. I'm going offline for the day. Don't bug me with things that are not worth my time." Without giving him time to reply, she hung the phone up, looking at the footsteps on the ground. '… A potential dragon…' She thought curiously. 'It could be…' Figuring she had nothing better to do, she went ahead and followed the trail as far as she could before it faded out. That wasn't until a little ways into City-Z. A city she knew to be abandoned aside from Blast's dojo. 'Hn. Must've been the old man on his way back from the store.' She figured, getting ready to leave. That's when she saw something that caught her attention.

". . . Is that that Cyborg guy?" She muttered. "Geez, what the hell's he doing way out here?" She was about to fly over to him to question him, but she stopped when something came to mind unexpectedly… that audio she heard just before she left the room… what was it saying?

. . .

'Ah, forget it. It'll come to me later.' She thought. Again, she began floating towards him before she was damn near floored by what she saw... Following him… it… it couldn't possibly be… though… it kind of made sense… No… No, no it couldn't be. Her jaw dropped in disbelief…

* * *

Genos came walking up the steps, heading back to the apartment. "I apologize. I have not yet finished ironing the rest of Master Saitama's clothing yet. This was the only option."

King looked down at the yellow jump suit in curiosity. He'd be surprised by it if he didn't already know it was Saitama who saved the world from that invasion. After witnessing what he has, it wasn't hard to believe… Still, he never thought he'd get to see the actual suit, let alone wear it. He didn't have the gloves, belt, or cape on, but even so. It was unmistakable. This was the suit he wore when he defeated that Lord Boros guy… He felt… kinda strong…. "Heh." He smiled lightly.

"KING!" A voice yelled out, catching their attention.

"h-..Huh!?" The man in question yelled in shock, not even knowing who it was yet. It didn't take long for that King engine to kick up a new beat when he saw the older sister of the Esper who sought him out earlier. "Oh.. COME ON!" he yelled out in fear. It was just his luck.

* * *

 **AN: Well? What do you think!? A new villainous organization, a new suspect for the yellow suited hero, and… well, yeah… those were the only… the only two surprises… What'd ya think!? Lol, thanks for reading. Stay tuned for next time.**

 **Question: What do you think Blast's power could be? I'm making something up for the sake of this story, so I don't actually know, but I've always wondered. He's so ambiguous. I think it's something similar to packing energy into his hands and either using it as augmentation to strengthen his blows or… well, blasts of energy that he can shoot out… I don't know though! Let me know what you think! Or, hell, you may already know! If you already know, don't share. I like surprises.**


	8. A Hero is

**What It Means**

 **AN: Hello. I know, very late update. How pathetic, blah-blah-blah. Anyways. I got a lot of mixed reactions from the previous chapter. Many were frustrated with the lack of interaction between Tatsumaki and Saitama. One person so much so that they just… left? Lol! But, that's fine. It's not for everyone, I guess. My stories tend to involve a heck of a lot of build up which just means they end up a heck of a lot longer than most. So, good and the bad I suppose. Anyways! I think we've all been frustrated long enough! Heheh! That in mind, enjoy…**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

(A few minutes ago)

Saitama stared at his reflection in the sliding door of his convenience store. A door that should've opened as close as he is. His eyes found their way to the sign hanging.

'Dragon Level Threat! Find Shelter!'

. . .

'oh… that means the store will have to remain closed until next shift…' He stood there wondering what to do now. He was actually looking forward to coming back in. Now, he had nothing to do.

. . .

"hm?" He looked up to the sky to see that one green haired kid who's always on the news flying overhead, heading back the way he came. 'Oh.. I guess there _was_ a monster around here somewhere…' He picked his ear and began walking back. 'Guess I'll just go home…'

* * *

(Present time)

"Oh.. COME ON!" King yelled out in exasperation. His King engine blared as he backed into the wall, trying to keep as far away from the unbelievably powerful Esper that was approaching him slowly with a look of anger. "no-no-No! Please! . . . I'm sorry, Miss Tornado!" He said as he hit his only option: a low bow with his forehead pressed firmly to the cement below.

Tatsumaki casually stared at him through the railing. Watching as he muttered out apologies for something she wasn't even concerned with. It took a while before she realized he meant for his infiltration into the S-Class ranks. That was something that she surely wanted to beat him to death for, but it took a back seat in this endeavor. She watched him with a keen eye. Examining every part of him. His physique somewhat checks out. Though, he seems far taller. She _was_ lying on her back though…

"… Please!" His muffled cry for forgiveness came pounding out.

She squinted her eyes. The physique alone was a red flag, but… his voice… 'I knew it.' She thought with a scowl. 'There's no way it could be this pathetic…' She couldn't even think of a harsh enough insult.

"Ah-!" With a flick of her wrist, he was yanked from his embarrassing pose with a yelp. The force of her telekinesis had him pinned against the wall, off his feet. "t-t-.. t-t-torn-… please, i-… I'm sorr-!"

"Shut up." She said sharply, cutting his begging short. She flew a bit closer before her path was blocked by Genos who casually stood in front of King as if to protect him. He didn't get into a defensive position or anything. ". . . Move." She instructed him dangerously.

Genos did not, meeting her fiery glare with an uninterested look. "You are attempting to harm a civilian. As the S-Class, rank-1 hero, I am sure you realize this is against the law." He informed her.

Her gaze did not lighten. "I said, move."

Genos pulled his hands from his pockets and stood in a threatening way. "It would appear you seek to harm him. If that's what you plan, then I ask that you clear away from my Master's apartment complex." He said.

"g-Genos!?" King cried out, hurt by his lack of empathy to the situation.

'His master?' She thought in confusion. 'Hmph, probably the one who built this pile of scraps.' She figured. "I didn't come here to attack him. I'm here to question him." She said.

Still, the Cyborg was unrelenting. "Then do so away from my Master's apartment building." He instructed.

She squinted her gaze dangerously. She could just let it slide and oblige, but… there's always been something about this worthless bot that she didn't like. 'Who do you think you're talking to? You insignificant hunk of metal.' She wasn't going anywhere. "You better watch it, Cyborg. I do what I want, when I want, where I want… So, get lost."

Genos's eyes squinted dangerously. "I will not allow you to do as you please here when my Master's not home." He warned her, his fingers slowly curling into fists.

"g-g.. g-g-gen- os…" King stuttered out, shaking his head vehemently. He knew very much what this small woman was capable of. Genos is strong in his own right, but this is a whole new level of power. He'd get himself killed!

Tatsumaki's threatening gaze was full force, daring the fool to make a move. As stressed as she's been in this everlasting search, she was just itching to destroy something worth her time. He was nowhere near, but close enough. "… I won't say it again." She warned.

"Neither will I." Genos spat back immediately as his arm came up, charging with a whizzing sound that seemed to accent the pounding of King's fear-stricken heartbeat. "You abuse your position as an S-Class hero to get your way wherever you wish. My master's apartment is the exception. If you intend t-.."

"Tatsumaki?" A feminine voice called out, drawing their attention.

The girl in question couldn't have been more shocked. There was Fubuki… walking out of this apartment, pulling her fur scarf back onto her shoulders. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Her mind was trying to piece this all together. With what she had, the conclusion was something she did not like one bit.

'His ' _Master's_ ' apartment…' She had never really known where it was Fubuki actually lived… If he were B-Class, she'd understand as that was what her whole little band of weaklings were, but… he's S-Class… and, all of her underlings have only ever called her 'Boss', not 'Master'…

"… You…" She muttered, looking down as it all came together. "You-.. Sick, PERVERT!" She yelled out in rage, one of the street laps came shooting over her head in a straight shot for the cyborg. The shouts of her sister and King were lost on her.

* * *

Saitama entered the gate of City-Z with a lazy stride. His ever-present look of disinterest was in place as he thought of absolutely nothing. His walk was quiet. The usual when he made it passed the gate. A perk to living in a city others were too afraid to go, he supposed. Oddly enough, he got a strange feeling, like someone was following him.

. . .

"Hm?" He muttered, stopping in his tracks. Turning around, it was someone he wasn't expecting. Though, being here, it probably couldn't have been anyone else. '. . . Crap. . . What was his name again?'

Bang came walking up with his hands clasped behind his back, holding a bag. "Oh. Saitama-boy. Pleasure seeing you again." His elderly voice called out making the bald man internally groan.

'Oh, great. He knows my name. Now I'll look like a total jerk.' He thought dejectedly. "o-Oh… yeah. Good to see you too.. uh… s-… Sir." He replied. 'Whew. That was close.'

Bang chuckled lightly, making him feel as though it was an okay greeting. "Hmhmhm…" An awkward silence followed. '. . . He's forgotten my name.' This realization brought about a playfulness that Bang wasn't very known for. "Ah, none of that Saitama-boy. We've met enough for you to call me by my name…" A challenging glint came to his sharp eyes.

Saitama smiled lightly to hide his own seriousness. "Heh. I suppose you're right…" He tried to leave it there, but by the looks of it, the Old man wasn't gonna give him a chance to escape. He looked at him with a serious visage, devoid of its previous softness. 'So, that's how it is… Very well. I'll simply force him to tell me, using quick wit…' He thought with a mental smirk. "- though, I don't think I've ever been able to pronounce it quite right. How do you say it again?" He asked. 'Heh, a technique I used in school many times. It never fails.'

"There's only really one way to say it." Bang said with that kind elderly smile. "I'm actually quite curious to see how it can be mispronounced."

Saitama was shocked. 'A reversal … He's good.' He squinted his eyes dangerously, locking glares with this dangerous foe before him. He wasn't throwing the towel in quite yet. A cocky smirk met his face as he shut his eyes, assured victory with this next move. "You know… I don't actually think you've told me your name before. Since we have only met a few times, I cannot be certain you did."

'Ah.' Bang thought. 'A bold move, but it's not good enough.' He smiled again. "I must have. It is common curtesy to give one's own name before asking for one. Seeing as I know yours, it is only logical to assume you have heard mine as well."

. . .

'w-… What!? Even that… He's _really_ good.'

Bang's victory was almost assured. He just needed to drive it home. "Ah… I must say, I am quite hurt. I had assumed we were fair acquaintances by now. I suppose I am just forgettable these days." He placed a bashful look on his face, feigning genuine embarrassment. 'Hmph! What'll you do now, boy?'

Saitama was no fool. He saw that challenging glint from miles away. Even so. With a move like that, there was no longer any hope of an easy victory… he had to do the impossible… guess. With a sigh, he focused closer on his face, trying to draw a name from thin air. The face itself was very recognizable. Old man. Wrinkles. White hair… '. . . B. . .' For some reason, that letter popped into his head. Then, a bit more. 'yeah… yeah, that must be it. I'll test it out.'

. . .

"B-…" Ever so slightly, Bang's eyes softened, meaning he was on the right track so far. "Bl-.." they hardened more. "b-… Ba-…" Again, they softened a bit. 'A-ha!' Saitama thought victoriously. Now, he was certain. 'I remember seeing him on the news… He's a hero. Which means he has some sort of power. A hero's name commonly matches their appearance or power. I doubt it's the appearance, so I will have to guess at his power. He's elderly, so it's unlikely it'd be something offensive… perhaps it is some sort of support role.'

As he thought on it, he kept it in the back of his mind that those first two letters were correct. 'B… A…' He gave him a good look yet again. Then, it hit him like a brick. "I've got it!" he said, victoriously, pointing at him sharply, shocking the old man who had a look of dread at such a defeat.

Their little match was impromptu and there were no stakes, but even so, he had initiated this challenge himself. That aside, it seemed he did leave something of an impression on the man. A soft smile settled in.

"You're a hero who goes by one name. I have seen you on the news a few times." Saitama explained.

Bang nodded.

"Your name is…

'It seems he really does remember. For some reason, that is rather flattering.'

"-Band-aid…"

. . .

. . .

. . .

"n-.. no, wait." Saitama said, scratching his head in thought. "That doesn't sound right…" he muttered. Great, he's already tried one and misfired. The only option he has now is to just apologize and ask. "h-Hey, look. I-.." As he looked back to him, he was shocked to see him turned around, a depressed sag to his shoulders.

"It's… bang." He muttered quietly.

The name registered in Saitama's mind for a moment. ". . . Oh, yeah. Bang. How are you?" He asked casually, as if nothing had happened.

With a sigh, Bang turned back as they continued walking further into City-Z. "I am well, Saitama-boy. Just returning from City-Y." He explained. "I was alerted of a monster sighting, but it seems to have been dealt with already."

"Oh… Okay." Saitama replied.

Bang continued walking next to him. "I see you are dressed for work." He noted. "I assume the monster alert would have shut many of the surrounding businesses down for a few hours."

"Yeah." He replied simply.

Bang nodded and continued along. ". . . There was quite a mess back there." He stated, side-eyeing the bald man. "I assume that was you who defeated the monster."

"Hm?" Saitama questioned. ". . . Oh, well, I did defeat one, but it wasn't that strong." He said.

'Hmh. I do not think you would consider any creature that strong.' He thought. "Ah, I see… The report was for a Demon level, potential Dragon." He explained.

Saitama didn't seem to hear him as he didn't reply for a moment. Eventually, he caught his words. "Oh… uh, yeah. I don't think it was me then. That one kid was there when I was leaving." He said. "Uh… hurricane of horror er-.. something."

Bang thought it over for a moment. '… He must mean Tatsumaki. Hm. What could she be doing down here.' He continued their walk, not even caring he was already off his path to his dojo. In truth, he was seeking to gain some insight about the man during this time. "Ah. Tornado of Terror, you mean." He corrected him. "She is quite formidable when it comes to taking down high level threats. It was possibly her."

"Oh. Okay." Saitama said.

. . .

"She's the S-Class rank 1 hero, you know." Bang said as if giving out a fun fact.

Saitama simply raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Bang assumed it was by such a surprising fact. It was no question she seems far younger than she is. To hear someone like that is so powerful, it would shock a lot of people. In truth however, 'Why's this old man following me home?'

"… cool." Saitama muttered.

"There are a lot of powerful heroes in the S-Class rank… Some far more adept at it than myself, yet somehow I've claimed the Rank 2 position. Heh."

"… Yup."

Silence settled again. It was rather awkward for Saitama as he was still following him.

"Your disciple, Genos. He is quite an interesting young man, isn't he?"

'He's still following me…' Saitama glanced to him out the side of his eye, honestly a little irritated. "Interesting how? All he talks about is getting stronger." He replied.

Bang chuckled a bit. "Hohoh. Well, that is something that all disciples reach for, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess." He said. "I don't see the point in it though. Getting stronger just makes everything boring."

Bang smiled slightly. "I suppose so. Overwhelming strength can be quite a nuisance when you've got no way to go from there."

"…Yeah."

. . .

"So, am I right to assume that that is why you no longer wish to be a hero?" Bang asked, finally getting down to the root of his inquiries.

Saitama gave him a curious look. ". . . Hm. . ." He muttered, thinking about it. ". . . Yeah, I guess so. Plus, I didn't have the patience to go out and meet that quota every week."

Bang was honestly a little confused by that. 'Quota? . . . Ah… I see.' He thought, figuring it out. He was brought in as an automatic S-Class, much like Genos. It was only the C-class heroes who had to meet that quota. It was more to weed out those who weren't serious in pursuing a career in actual hero work. Those who sought only the recognition of being a hero. "You know, Saitama-boy." Bang said, drawing his attention. "That whole Quota business is only for the C-class heroes. If you were to make a higher ranking.. say, S-Class, you wouldn't need to worry about such a thing. You would simply be called upon for the major threats when they arise." He explained.

Saitama seemed somewhat surprised by that revelation. "Ah… Okay."

. . .

"So, do you think you'd be interested in something like that?" Bang questioned. He was asking for the sake of Tatsumaki. A young girl who was tough as they come on the outside, but her actions within the past few weeks have shown him a different side of her. A side that would rather seek the help – albeit indirectly – of another to alleviate the pressure on her own shoulders. That's what this week-long shut in of hers really boils down to. Her own fear of failure. With Garou running amuck and the rise in high threat level monsters, her being focused was a necessity. Even if it meant helping in the endeavor of convincing the strongest being he's ever known to rejoin their ranks.

". . . Mm. . . Nah. It would still be boring. . ." Saitama said, shutting him down.

Bang smiled slightly. There was a time where he thought the same. Back before when he knew less about the world than he would've liked. Back when the rush of the fight still mattered. The thrill of possible defeat. Before he knew the true meaning… "You know, there is more to being a hero than a good fight, Saitama-boy… Civilians are far more fragile than us S-Class heroes could ever imagine… To them, there is no such thing as unbeatable evil…"

Saitama was confused by his words. 'Hm? What's he talking about?'

"… -because, they have us." Bang finished, giving him a small smile. "That aside, we've been reminded twice in the past month that we heroes are far more fragile than a man of your strength could ever imagine… twice, we've seen that there is no such thing as unbeatable evil… because of you…"

Saitama didn't fully understand, not that he was paying much attention. The gist of it was clear enough. He wants him to rejoin the hero association. Something he's been thinking about for quite some time, but what good would it do? Nothing would change. He'd still beat every monster he comes up against in one punch, it didn't pay that much, and it was just all around boring. "Uh, I don't really get it, b-.."

"LOOK OUT!" A feminine shriek called out, catching their attention.

"Hm?" Saitama looked up to see a bus come flying down from the sky. It was stopped in mid-air by a blue hue of light before being tossed aside.

"Oh, Fubuki." Bang said casually at the girl flying down looking exhausted and horrified all at once. "How are you? You seem troubled."

"Bang! It's my sister. She's attacking Demon Cyborg." She said urgently. "They'll end up tearing this city apart if we don't do something."

Bang did not seem worried, still standing there with his hands behind his back. "… Hm… that is troubling…"

* * *

Tatsumaki kept her distance up in the air with her arms folded casually over her chest. She stared down at the cybernetic man with her nose in the air. He wasn't even worth the effort. She's been playing with him from the start. If she wanted to, she could just squash him like a bug, but that would only cause more trouble for her with the association. "Who do you think you are, seducing my sister in such a perverted way? You're nothing but scum." She spat out.

Genos was crouched down below, waiting to evade the next attack. His body tattered and unkempt with loose wires and sparks fidgeting about. He couldn't find a single opening that would allow him to do any damage. She is truly worthy of her rank, but her intelligence was something to be determined. "You have misunderstood the situation." He informed her. His words fell on deaf ears as he again had to jump up and away to avoid another object being sent his way. In the air, he was snatched up by the force of her telekinesis. "Tch!" Forcing his arm up, he tried to shoot a blast of flames her way in hopes of freeing himself, but his flames were simply caught in a bubble and tossed aside.

With little care for the matter as a whole, Tatsumaki flung him back down to the ground. She watched as his body implanted within the street. Slowly, she descended until her own feet touched down a few feet away from him. She watched as he slowly came crawling back to his feet, stumbling from the damage sustained. "Your excuses don't matter to me. You don't even deserve to die by my hand, you sick demented perverted freak." She said, eyeing him with a half-interested look.

Genos grit his teeth. He was usually fairly level-headed, but this woman had a way of pushing his buttons. "She is not my master. The master I speak of is a man." He said.

Tatsumaki looked at him in disbelief. Disbelief that slowly grew into further disgust. "Ew! You disgusting bastard!" she yelled, throwing him back.

Genos skipped along the road for a while before coming to a stop. With a groan, he made it back to his feet, trying yet again to explain. This was all due to a simple misunderstanding. "Y-.." He bit back his words of anger. "My master is not a sexual deviant whom I serve. He is the greatest hero to ever exist. He is teaching me to unlock my full potential. To break my limits and surpass my previous self. So that I can find _him_ , and avenge m-.."

"Yeah, yeah." Tatsumaki said, stopping him. "Whatever. I don't need to hear your backstory." She stared at him curiously. '… greatest hero to ever exist…' Her mind got to working here. The suit on King of all people, an S-Class hero claiming his master lives in those crappy apartments… the only thing that threw a wrench into things was Fubuki's presence, but there were many things that could've happened there. "… Who is this 'Master' of yours?" She asked curiously. "What's his name?"

Genos squinted his eyes. "My master… my master is none of your concern." He said dangerously. "He needn't worry himself with the likes of heroes like you."

Now he was just starting to annoy her. With a sigh, she flicked her wrist, pulling his body off his feet and closer to her at blinding speeds. She stopped him three feet away and floated up so she was at eye level with him. "I won't… ask again… What – is – his – name?" She asked, slowing down her words so that she was understood.

Genos considered his options. He could tell her, but then she would only begin to pester Master Saitama just as the other girl. Things were already getting quite crowded around the apartment. With someone like her, there was bound to be more trouble. He could give her a fake name, but she would only look to her sister to confirm it. He couldn't move his limbs, so attacking in that way was a no go. Though, at this distance, there was one new attack he could try. He's never shown it, so she would have no knowledge of it. If there was ever a time to try it out, it was now.

"My master…" He grit out. "… m-… my master…"

She watched curiously as steam started pouring out of gaps on his body. What was he planning?

"My-.."

(Thew!)

There was a loud popping sound, like someone hit the back of a metal pan and let it ring. Before her eyes, Genos's eyes started rolling back. She didn't even realize she was still holding him up until his head fell backwards limply but his body didn't follow. Confused, she released him and watched as he fell over. As his body fell, the person behind him came into view.

"Genos. You were gonna blow the whole block apart." Saitama said with his hands in his pockets as he looked down at his 'student'.

"… m-… Master…"

Like a gunshot full of revelations shot straight threw her head, Tatsumaki's eyes grew in surprise. The audio she heard just before she fled the conference room. That's what was being said… and… and this is who said it… She remembered. He was there! When she was pinned by that octopus freaks gravity technique! He was thrown through the top of the ship! So… putting two and two together… her eyes traveled up the body of the man standing behind him…

Right build…

"Haaah.. I sure hope you kept this little sparring match away from my apartment building." Saitama muttered as he helped Genos to his feet.

Right voice…

"I apologize Master. I was successful in minimizing damages… to a certain degree."

"A certain degree!? w-What the heck does that mean!? What did you break!?" Saitama questioned in a panic.

Genos put his head down in embarrassment. "There is… some damage to the kitchen."

"Oh… well, someone's gonna have to pay for that…"

"You!"

Saitama and Genos looked towards the source of the voice to see Tornado still floating there staring at the bald man intently. ". . . Hm? Do I know you?"

With his eyes on her… that dead look… those uninterested eyes... the uniform. "You're that guy from the corner store!" She yelled out her revelation.

"… uh… yeah? Did I get your change wrong or something?"

The more she looked at him, the more confused she became. 'n… no… I was so sure… there's… there's no way this guy could possibly…'

"Master Saitama. The damage was done by a light pole thrown by this woman. She is the Rank-1 S-class hero, Tornado of Terror, Tatsumaki. Statistically speaking, the highest paid hero behind Rank-1 A-Class hero, Amai Mask." Genos explained.

Saitama's mind boggled the information for a moment before he came up with an adequate response. ". . . Oh. Then, she's going to pay for it?" He questioned curiously.

"That would seem to be the fairest solution to this situation." Genos said before turning towards the still pondering girl floating before them. He pointed towards her and, with an authoritative boom to his voice, made his demand known. "Tornado. As you were responsible for the damages to Master Saitama's apartment complex, it is only right that you take responsibility and pay the damage fee while also putting up a place to accommodate him until the damage is fixed. Noncompliance is not an option. I will give you thre-.."

(WHOOSH)

Genos was taken off his feet faster than he could comprehend, smacking into one of the vacant buildings off to the side. Saitama, having been paying little attention, didn't care to track the movement. Looking around curiously for his disappeared disciple, he caught sight of his fidgeting legs sticking out of the fresh hole in the building. "Hm? Genos?" He called out. "What happened? Did you slip?"

Before he made to help him, Bang and Fubuki floated down next to the fallen hero.

"You." Tatsumaki's voice growled out again.

Saitama looked to the girl again, his confusion still apparent as to what just happened.

That casual look of utter disinterest in his eyes… It irked her for some reason. The whole situation irritated her if she were honest. There was just something about this man before her. As she ran through her check-list, he fit damn near everything she could pinpoint, but… it just felt… wrong. So wrong, in fact, that she was sure this was all just a big misunderstanding… Even so… she just had to know for sure.

. . .

"Fight me…"

. . .

Saitama's blank stare was plastered on her, as if he didn't hear her. It seemed that this was usually the case, but he did in fact hear the request this time. He just… couldn't believe it. "Huh?" He voiced, his look shifting to that of confusion. "Fight you? Why would I do that?" He asked.

". . . Because I said so… fight me!" she demanded again.

A look of amusement overcame him as if he understood the situation, or what her intentions were. "Eheh, look. There's no need for that, really. You can just pay the damages and we can end it there. There's really no need f-.." He stuck his right arm out, catching the small baseball sized chunk of rock she tried to hurl at the side of his head. Not hard enough to kill him or anything. Just to see if he really is more than a civilian. He pulled the rock in front of him, looking down at it. "Oh." He tossed it up a few times as if checking its weight. "More rock throwing huh? …"

He sounded disappointed. Tatsumaki squinted her eyes slightly. There really is something off about this man. "Fight me." She reiterated yet again.

"Look. I don't really want to get in trouble or anything." He said, putting his hands up. "I know you're a hero and all, but…"

She sighed, thinking that was all there was to it. Of course, he wouldn't fight her. Any way she looked at it, it would just be a bad wrap for him. If he really is powerful, then he'd be seen as nothing more than a criminal, win or lose. She was ready to just give up, until… he finished his comment.

"-I don't really want to be arrested for fighting a kid or anything…"

. . .

. . .

. . .

It was so quiet they could actually hear the wires snapping in Genos's circuit board. Genos, Fubuki, and Bang all froze, looking at the scene. Three collective minds had very similar thoughts, all at once and all in the same knowing tone:

Fubuki: _Ah, shit_.  
Genos: _Master_.  
Bang: _Oh, boy_.

Saitama was blissfully unaware of the danger he just unleashed as his plain look continued watching the girl who seemed to be… glowing a lot brighter now… and her hair was starting to rise. '… Wait… she looks kinda familiar now.'

* * *

 **AN: Oooooooh! Saitama's done it now! Not that he cares. Lol! The whole mistaking King bit, was just that, a bit. I had no intentions of doing something like that for too long. Too many obvious holes that I feel Tatsumaki is too smart to not notice, you know? Well, I've been back and forth on how exactly I wanted to introduce them to each other completely. For a while, I was thinking I'd wait for another big attack, but that's just prolonging the inevitable. Besides, their meeting is better done with hilarious misconception rather than heartfelt terror and heroics, don't you think?**

 **Question: Who wins in a fight to the DEATH, Mumen Rider or King! Let me know your backing!**


	9. Chaotic Confirmation

**What It Means**

 **AN: Welcome! And prepare yourself for sheer chaos! It's about time we've had some action, wouldn't you say? Now, early warning, I'm not the best at writing fight sequences, but I did do my best! It won't be too great, but as time goes on, I'll get better. Some other stuff to know, this chapter enters some canon area for Season 2, so if you haven't seen it, you'll be confused (also, that's your spoiler warning). But, in this particular ark, there are a lot of fight sequences portrayed in the Webcomic, Anime, and Manga, but for the sake of keeping this story more centrally focused on our MC's, those fights are gonna be… more or less glazed over? Like, I make it known that these things are happening, we just don't really see them. If there is something different happening in that fight, then I promise you it'll be written out, but if I don't go into detail on it, assume it happens just as it happens in the canon series. Now, ENJOY!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

(Previously)

"-I don't really want to be arrested for fighting a kid or anything…"

. . .

. . .

. . .

It was so quiet they could actually hear the wires snapping in Genos's circuit board. Genos, Fubuki, and Bang all froze, looking at the scene. Three collective minds had very similar thoughts, all at once and all in the same knowing tone:

Fubuki: _Ah, shit_.  
Genos: _Master_.  
Bang: _Oh, boy_.

Saitama was blissfully unaware of the danger he just unleashed as his plain look continued watching the girl who seemed to be… glowing a lot brighter now… and her hair was starting to rise. '… Wait… she looks kinda familiar now.'

* * *

"… You…" Tatsumaki growled out as she rose higher and higher, the wind kicking up far faster than normal. "You insignificant bald bastard… I'll… I'll kill you…" Her words came out as nothing more than muttering that Saitama couldn't even hear over the roar of the wind.

He looked around at all of the commotion this unexpected weather was bringing on. "Huh. It sure is windy today…"

. . .

That was the last straw. "Die." Tatsumaki called out coldly, jumping into action. Despite her words, she was still very much aware that this was a civilian she was facing, so she wasn't going all out by any stretch of the phrase. In fact, she wasn't even planning on hitting him with anything deadly. Just a few stones to teach him a lesson. That in mind, her first attack was far beyond lackluster. Still, far more than any C-Class loser could match. A barrage of those baseball sized stones were sent flying towards the bald man who didn't seem to react at all.

She slowed them down just before they hit to take even more of the impact off. To her shock and irritation, they were still hard enough to rip through the concrete below it seemed… in other words, far too hard for him to not be seriously hurt. She couldn't tell with the cloud of dust it kicked up.

'Damn it… I might have killed him.' She thought as she waited for the smoke to dissipate. What was weird here is that Bang, Fubuki or that little devoted disciple cyborg of his didn't seem to react all that much. She expected some shocked shouts of dismay or… something. She eventually saw why. The smoke flew away with the rush of the wind leaving… the bald man, still standing in his spot… not a scratch on him… The only indication he was even hit were the slight cuts in his uniform.

"… How are you still standing?" She questioned.

"Hm?" Saitama questioned. "All you did was throw some rocks… Is that your strongest move or something?"

Tatsumaki took a deep breath. She was trying to remain level headed, but he was really starting to get under her skin. She grit her teeth. 'This son-of-a-… Alright. If this jackass is Demon Cyborg's 'master' then he must be at least as strong or stronger than him… Which means I can give him a similar beating without killing him.'

Without even bothering waving her hands, she sent a light pole shooting towards him at break-neck speed. This would be the true test. If he's really worth his salt, then he should be fast enough to dodge it.

. . .

(BWOOOONG!)

The pole rang out with that oh so familiar sound of metal vibration.

. . .

Tatsumaki was actually shocked. 'He… he caught it!'

Saitama held his hand out in front of him, clutching the end that was ready to smack into his chest. "… Ah… I see. You just want to try out some of your moves, huh?"

She didn't respond to that. She watched him with a rather intense look in her eyes and rose a bit higher. That was all the conformation she needed to push it a little harder. That would've taken that cyborg disciple of his off his feet. He caught it like it was nothing. '… this could be fun …'

"Look out!" Fubuki yelled when she saw another abandoned bus come flying down at the bald man. It crashed down with a booming impact, followed swiftly by the explosion of its remaining gas.

Tatsumaki's eyes were, again, waiting to see the after math. To her surprise…

"Whoa." Saitama uttered, standing a ways away. "That was close. That would've ruined my uniform. Maybe I should change first…"

She looked back to him with a bit more surprise. 'I didn't even see him move…' A small grin of excitement was starting to crawl onto her face. 'Maybe…'

Showing less restraint, she threw two more sizeable objects his way at possibly 75% the speed she'd use in a real fight. Again, he disappeared at the last moment.

'Maybe, he really is…'

"Heh… Okay… Make this fun for me!" she yelled, suddenly going into a frenzy, flinging as much as she could, trying to hit the bald man.

Saitama was surprised. It wasn't anything super spectacular, but at least she was throwing something other than pebbles and stuff. He was dodging buses, light-poles, mailboxes, whatever she could find. He was doing all this with that same plain face of his, showing very little interest.

Leaping off a rusted old car she tried to hit him with in the air, he looked down at the street below to see it cracking, the broken sections shooting up towards him at impressive speeds. "Whoa…" When the first one came, he had no way of dodging, so he cocked his fist back and give a rather lackluster punch that seemed to pack enough power to bust through more than a few. Before he could realize it, the car he previously avoided came flying back towards him from behind, smacking into him, sending him hurling towards the ground.

Tatsumaki watched as he and the car made impact on the asphalt, leaving a crack from the sheer pressure. She assumed she had crushed him beneath it, but much to her surprise and shock, he had simply landed on his feet and caught the vehicle, tossing it aside like a sack of potatoes. Again, her smile returned and she continued on, tossing as many loose objects of varying sizes at him.

Saitama, still not really trying to fight her, decided to play keep away. His combat intelligence really showed its colors here as, instead of simply dodging out in the open, he jumped through a nearby window. Knowing the entire city was deserted aside from himself really gave him the advantage there. It was a clever idea, but… not one that lasted for too long. To his shock, the roof of the building was ripped clean off! "Whoa… I think she might be taking this a little too seriously for a sparring match." He muttered to himself.

He jumped up and away from the falling structure, infuriating his opponent. Tatsumaki narrowed her eyes. Throughout the entire fight so far, she has yet to land a single blow. Enough of this, she'd just grab hold and slam him into everything! As he was jumping away, she tried to grab him, but… she found that she couldn't… Sticking her hand out and trying to use more power, still… she couldn't grab him! She grit her teeth and put her other hand up… "rrRAGH! Why won't it WORK!?"

Saitama landed down on the street. A street that seemed awfully familiar to him…

"s-s… Saitama!" A familiar voice called out from behind him.

He gasped in shock. He wasn't even thinking about it… This is his block… in other words, that's his apartment! His incredulous look caught sight of what Genos meant by the damage done. Sure enough… there is a light pole sticking through the wall right next to his door. "Oh man. That'll take weeks to repair! . . . King… why are you wearing my hero costume?" He questioned.

"l-Look out!" The cowardly man roared, pointing at the green haired Esper who was now flying straight at him, apparently intending to meet him in close combat to deal direct damage.

Saitama peaked back at his house, imagining how long it would take to repair if she ripped the ceiling off like she just did to that other building. 'Oh man, her sparring is intense. I should probably get her out of the city.' He figured, taking off in a dead sprint down the road to his right. Tatsumaki cut a sharp right and began to give chase, ignoring the devastation of the wind that kicked up from the sheer force of her flight.

She was right behind the unnaturally fast man, throwing all she could at him to stop him. He simply avoided each attack with a small hop, slide, or by efficiently smashing through it, leaving her the debris to avoid. Just when she thought she almost had him (BANG) he cut right into the wall of a building, popping out on the other side and continuing on. She growled, getting back on his trail. "STOP RUNNING!" She demanded.

Saitama paid her no mind, running for the spot where he and Genos once had a match. It was the most open area nearby that he could think off. He just had to make it there. Before he could, the very ground beneath him began to quake. Just as before, the pieces of ruble were kicked up into the air, him on one. Not stopping, he used the various platforms as leaping points, still masterfully avoiding her attacks by just plain being faster than her. Eventually, he touched back down on the ground and continued running. Surprisingly, she was a lot closer to him than she thought. So much so that he could hear her grunt of effort as she prepared to punch him into the ground. Before she could, he jumped away again and continued running. He could hear the impact of her hit though, and he was honestly impressed. Someone so small packs such a devastating blow. Cool.

"You son-of-.." Tatsumaki growled out, staying right on his heels. All she had to do is catch him. If she can catch him, it's all over! Every time she was a hair away, somehow, he was always fast enough to avoid her. Still, she's been just a hair behind him. Using that knowledge, she saw that they were entering the edge of the city. She then understood what he was running for. An open area. Fine by her. That just opened her range of attacks a lot more. Just as he made it to the edge, she packed her palm with telekinetic energy before blasting it out, hitting him right in his back… he didn't even flinch. It was like he didn't feel it.

Again, she sent more of these heat-seeking rays that he either took with little effort or avoided. With a very impressive leap, he went flying through the air at breakneck speed. While in the air, he seemed fairly defenseless, so she rushed him as fast as she could. He seemed to sense her coming somehow and turned his body in a way that allowed him to block her power packed right hook with his forearm. She was breathing a bit heavily at this point, but he… he didn't look as if he did anything. His face was still as plain and as bored looking as it was the day she went into that store. With a scream of aggravation, she grabbed hold of his shirt (he let her for some reason) and spun violently, throwing him into the ground below.

Saitama landed on his back, cracking the ground below, implanting his body within. Still, he looked unaffected.

Tatsumaki floated down about twenty feet away from him, still catching her breath. She watched him stand to his feet, dusting his clothes off like nothing. "… So… you _are_ strong…"

Saitama didn't respond. He just stared at her with that blank expression of his.

She was irritated with that look. Even after everything he's seen her do, he still looks bored… 'He's… he's underestimating me…' That thought alone was pissing her off… Even so… she had to know… ". . . Tell me something . . ."

"Hm?" Saitama questioned. 'I thought we were sparring…'

For some reason… she feared the answer to this question either way. ". . . Was it you?" A beat of silence passed as he obviously didn't know what she meant. ". . . Are you the one who saved me?"

Saitama looked at her, still confused by the question. 'Did I save her? . . . From what?' He stared at her hard, trying to remember. He's saved a lot of people. He couldn't be expected to remember them all, right? Though… looking at her hair… wait… Why is she bleeding? He hasn't even hit her. He watched a trickle of blood drip slowly down her forehead… that's when it hit him. She's the one the little girl told him to save back during that whole invasion thing. "Oh, I remember you." He said. "Yeah. You were fighting those alien guys, right?"

She squinted her eyes.

"I made it just in time, I think. You were pretty beat up." He said, bringing validation to all of it. "Still." He gave a rather lackluster smile, accented by a casually raised thumbs-up. "Nice fight."

There she had it… actual validation. Looking at who that validation was coming from, she couldn't say it wasn't disappointing. He is a far-cry from what she pictured. Though… if she were honest, at the back of her mind, there was still that hope that it would truly be Blast. It was that hope alone that brought about this disappointment. Sure, he's held out so far, but she has not been going all out at all. Blast could absolutely demolish her without lifting a finger… this guy's done nothing but run so far… Maybe that alien boss freak wasn't all that tough after all. Had she been at 100%, she could've demolished him. This fight would prove it here.

* * *

Sekingar stared intensely at the digital map of the various cities before them. "What is the meaning of this?" He questioned.

Sitch, who was nestled in his desk with his hands folded in front of his face, couldn't believe it either. Their eyes tracked the blinking red dots that seemed to be popping up all over the screen. "I don't know… there is an unbelievable increase in monsters of various degrees… It's… not like anything I've ever seen."

Sekingar agreed. "It seems these attacks are random, but the monsters are seeming to attack strategically. The lesser monsters are deliberately avoiding areas frequented by higher class heroes."

"How do you mean?" Sitch asked.

Taking control, Sitch zoomed in on a few key areas. "There are multiple attacks within City-Y, bordering City-Z, yet there isn't a single attack within the vicinity of Bang's dojo which is bordering the northern gate. We see the deliberate avoidance of high threat level areas, including: Child Emperor's neighborhood, Watch Dog Tower, and the prison housing Puri-Puri Prisoner."

"… Ah… I see." Sitch muttered, thinking on what to do. "Where is Tatsumaki?"

"Unknown." Sekingar immediately replied. "Her transponder has been turned off. We cannot reach her."

"Damn it… and with the reappearance of Elder Centipede…" He muttered again. ". . . What of the other S-classs heroes?" He questioned.

"We cannot reach Bang or Demon Cyborg. The rest of the S-Class have been informed and are moving into action, seeking the biggest threats."

"-and Metal Bat?" He questioned in a hopeful tone.

"… He was ambushed… his charge was taken… but, Elder Centipede has also retreated for the time being. It is believed the capture of Mr. Narinki's son was his mission…"

With a sigh, Sitch sat back in his seat. This was the worst possible time for Tatsumaki to be offline. This is the very situation they needed to officially cement her as the true number one hero… Now, she's nowhere to be found. " . . . Urgh. What a headache.'

"There are three other issues at hand." He said, drawing his superiors attention. "There were multiple distress calls from the martial arts tournament 'Super Fight' in City-C. Many of them were the usual monster alerts, but two of them were from high ranking heroes requesting immediate assistance. Lightning Max and Sneck. We can no longer reach them."

Sitch didn't respond yet.

"There was also a sighting of Metal Bat facing off against what people believe to fit the description of the Hero Hunter…"

Still, he remained silent.

Sekingar looked to him for any reaction. Seeing he wasn't likely to get one, he continued, a bit hesitant. "a-.. and, there seems to be a massive output of power in the outer area of City-Z. There is no clear sighting as to what it could be, but whatever it is has been producing massive tremors felt by operatives stationed in City-Y… It seems to be the biggest threat, power-wise, but so far, it has been contained in the opened area, not seeming to breach the cities…"

". . ." Still, Sitch seemed at a loss for words. 'Everything is crumbling… In only the past ten minutes, it seems everything has crumbled… Tatsumaki… where are you?"

* * *

([Undisclosed location])

The group of shady individuals, still nestled in the dark like a cliché group of supervillains, watched the chaos unfolding in the cities through the news feeds. The woman of the group was the first to speak on it. "Heh. Seems like we're not the only ones looking to cause a little trouble." She said in amusement. "Those attacks came far too suddenly to have been random."

The other's refrained from speaking, until the supposed leader gave his order. "This is good… Go… Examine the S-Class closely. Do not draw attention, and do not engage… This attack is surely useless for the foolish monsters. It's far too chaotic and possesses little planning. It's only use is to display the abilities of the heroes more thoroughly… Just our luck."

* * *

Saitama, still as plain faced as ever was slightly impressed with what was before him. He stared up at the vibrantly glowing green girl, surrounded by massive boulders that swirled all around her. "Whoa…" he muttered. In an instant, she started shooting them at him. They were massive. The smaller ones easily as big as his entire apartment. He took off running, still able to dodge them, despite the wide range of their impact. She seemed to have predicted his next dodge however as there was already another coming down on him before he could fully stop himself. Thinking quickly, he leapt up, running along it's side. When he made it to the top, he jumped onto another one nearby.

Tatsumaki grit her teeth. Now she was certain that this man was far above the level of his measly disciple. She still had yet to land a blow, and when she did, he brushed it off like it meant nothing. He was infuriating, but regardless, he couldn't even touch her! All he's been doing is running, likely fearing for his life. Still, what could she do to slow him down!? Then… it hit her. A devious smile came onto her face. 'That's right… I just learned a new technique.

Saitama continued leaping from boulder to boulder, his visage still not looking more excited than it always did. As he was leaping towards his next target, however, everything dropped at a very rapid pace. The boulders rocketed towards the ground along with himself.

She smiled when she saw him succumb to the increased gravity. 'There's no way he could overcome this! It was hard for me even with my power. This isn't as much force, but it should be more than enough t-..'

The smoke of the crumbling boulders cleared and, much to her irritation, there he was… just standing there, looking up at her. He was just standing there as if it wasn't a big deal.

'You… you bald bastard!' She grit her teeth. "Fine… Lets see what happens when we add a little more pressure." She muttered.

Saitama was confused, looking around as the massive boulders just continued to crumble away for some reason. 'Hm? Is she preparing some kind of technique?' He mentally questioned.

Tatsumaki squeezed her hands closer and closer to making fists, the pressure increasing the closer she got. Eventually, her hands began to shake. Her eyes stared at him, waiting for it to get to him, but… it just wasn't! "rrr-… rrRAGH!"

Saitama looked down in shock when his feet went through the hard earth beneath him, burying him to his knees. "Hm?"

't-… There's-! … There's… no-.. WAY!' He was completely unaffected… Well, that wasn't true. She would've written all of this off as him possessing some kind of cancelling telekinetic power technique, but… his feet were buried, so it was definitely affecting him. "h-.. How strong is this guy!?" Frustration overcoming her, she was pulling out the big guns. While holding her gravity technique with one hand, the other pointed straight up at the sky. It wasn't one of her alien ship busting meteors, but it was big enough to do some damage to this worthless nobody! . . . She hoped.

Saitama looked up at the encroaching light curiously. In truth, he was getting rather bored now. 'She sure is a lot stronger than that other psychic girl… A lot stronger, but… at the end of the day…' Squatting down, he took off with a mighty jump as if the weight of the gravity wasn't even an inconvenience to him. He passed right by the shocked green-haired girl, not even looking her way. The meteor in sight, he cocked his fist back, just as he had done that day he saved City-Z, only this time not as intense, his plain look still in place. '-It's still just throwing rocks.

There was silence when his fist drove through the rock initially. It wasn't until he popped out of the other side did the boom come. When it came, it sounded off with an unbelievably deafening blast.

Tatsumaki's wide eyes stared at the display in disbelief! That wasn't her biggest meteor, by far! But… Even so…

Saitama's momentum ran out after a while and he began free falling along with the ruble. That's when he thought about the aftermath of doing this the last time. Yeah, he stopped the big blast, but… still. He looked toward City-Z which was somewhat in the way of the falling debris. Whelp, not like there was anyone there who couldn't g-.. 'Huh?'

The debris was all glowing green now. Before he had time to react, the chunks started coming back together… with himself as the focal point! They clung to him like sticky gum that he just couldn't pry off.

Tatsumaki, again, squeezed her hand together, catching all the ruble and essentially reforming the construct. When it was fully condensed, she squeezed as hard as she could and drove her arm downward. The meteor continued on after it's regeneration on a collision course with the ground below. Now, she understood. Distance attacks wouldn't work. He was able to block, smash, or evade everything. If she wants to do damage, it has to be direct.

The meteor struck down, not even having enough momentum to break itself completely. It split in half, one side sliding off, revealing Saitama with his arms out, still looking bored. Before he could even pry himself free, he was tackled and driven through the rest of the rock by the green bullet that was Tatsumaki. They slid across the ground for a ways before she grabbed his shirt, flipped forwards a few times until releasing, throwing him down. With their momentum still moving forward, Saitama skipped across the ground, his face, back, and feet digging into the earth as he tumbled before he was able to stick his hand down and catch himself.

Her plan was solid. It gave him no time to right himself. She was taking advantage of the fact that he was underestimating her. He never said it, but just by his actions, it was clear to her that he did not intend to hit her back. That just gave her every advantage she needed to teach this bastard a lesson. Her rage was so intense that she didn't even care to notice that they were headed back towards the cities. She didn't care. A blind rage overcame her. Similar to the way she felt with those alien bastards looking down on her! Only, this time, she had more than enough energy to validate her power. She is not weak. Whether or not this bald-nobody-loser is the 'great' hero who saved them twice… she's stronger. Those two situations were completely circumstantial. 'Yeah… I'm stronger than you!'

Running backwards at an unbelievable pace, Saitama had to jump when he caught a glimpse of something. It's shine is what caught his attention. It was Fubuki, Bang, and Genos, the latter attaching a new arm, his damage seemingly fixed. With the attacks she is coming with now, they'd be hard pressed to survive. He leapt into the air, knowing it put himself in a vulnerable position.

Tatsumaki wasted no time in taking her opening. Flying by the group of three at breakneck speed, she pried a chunk of the ground in front of her, chucking it his way. Sure enough, he smashed through it with no way of dodging. The smoke from the debris gave her the cover she needed. Pointing a hand his way, Saitama was confused when his back hit something hard. He was far from being near the buildings yet. Turning slightly, he was surprised by the green hue of a forcefield. 'Hm… clever.'

It dissipated right as her other power packed fist came smashing into his abdomen, sending him flying. She flew faster to catch up to him, slugging him again, sending him flying through the sky another hundred plus feet. Then again! THEN AGAIN, until finally, he was sent tumbling through the top floor of a building. It was only here did he realize they were back in the city… though… this wasn't City-Z. They must've circled around it, ending up in City-Y… Then… where are all the people.

He was going too fast to stop himself before he popped out the other side of the building. Even then, he was not in the clear. As he started dropping, he was somewhat surprised to see she had tunneled through a lower level to get beneath him. Now, she's about five feet away from him, the anger in her eyes nearly palpable. She drove her fist into his chest, sending him rocketing back towards the sky.

'Oh man. She's really mad.' He thought passively. 'I don't see why. It's not like I damaged _her_ apartment.' His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden roar of laughter from somewhere nearby. Definitely a monster. The screams of what he assumed to be civilians caught his ear as well. 'Hm? What's going on here? Before he could question it further, he was hit with a brutal right hook, right on his jaw, sending him rocketing in that direction.

A big hulking creature standing at an impressive 15 feet towered over bodies of many lower class heroes. Fools who dared step in his path. "Hergh-Heeergh! You pitiful fools have no clue, do you!?" His mocking voice boomed out. "Today is but the beginning of th-.."

(BANG)

Saitama landed right in the big guys chest, slamming them both into a nearby building. "Ergh.. what the-.. Hey, what the hell!? Who are you!? Another foolish hero trying to save the d- urgh!" He coughed out when Saitama suddenly shot off his chest, the force of it alone knocking his air out. He held his chest for a moment before he saw why the bald man was running. A hellish scream left the beasts mouth when the green glowing light post came drilling down into his head.

Tatsumaki growled out, again, putting the chase onto the baldy. "COME HERE!" She demanded.

Screeching to a halt, Saitama was nearly hit by some big grey creature who was charging at some strange guy with a goofy mustache and snazzy suit holding a sword as he leapt away. 'What the hell i-..'

(Boom!)

He was hit in his back, inadvertently headbutting the big grey monster so hard its head exploded. His momentum, again, sent him skipping across the empty asphalt street below. Before he could right himself, he caught a glimpse of the green girl above him, multiple light poles aiming right at him. The first one came flying down at an unbelievable speed. He knocked it 'harmlessly' into the building next to him. Scrambling back, he had to dodge five more before straight catching the last one. He Simply threw it back at her. Not too hard. He wasn't trying to hurt her or anything. Even so, the pole was sent rocketing as if it were shot out of a canon. She was hard pressed to avoid it, but she was able to regardless.

* * *

([Super Fight Arena – City-C])

Suriyu, the genius martial arts master who was a natural at his craft couldn't believe it. He crawled away from his opponent, a creature that was once a man. Now, a four armed monster that was moments away from killing him. He had never showed respect to them before, but… now, he had no choice. He needed… "h-… h-Hero! Please! I need a hero! There's a monster here! … If you can hear me… please! I-.. heh!" Tears streamed down his face as those booming footsteps came closer and closer.

"Heheheh! You pathetic piece of garbage." The ape like monster called out in amusement. "To think such a weak willed creature used to be my superior. Well, those days are over. No one's gonna save you… Now…" He lifted his foot up over his broken body, ready to squash him like a bug. "… d-… Huh?" He squinted his eye when something shiny caught his attention in the sky… through the hole that Goketsu created… what is that? "Huh!" The light pole Saitama threw FROM CITY-Y Impaled him through the chest like a knife through warm butter!

Suriyu looked back at the display of the ape like creature sliding limply down that pole with a delirious smile that slowly rose into a relieved laugh. "Heh… Heh-heh-… Hahahaha!" He was saved… "t-… Thank you! Whoever you are-! … THANK YOU!"

* * *

(BOOM)

Saitama was sent flying yet again, the product of another booming hit that he… pretty much allowed to catch him. It wasn't like he couldn't avoid these blows, but every time he did, she ended up hitting something else, tearing a building down or something. Sure, he was sent flying through a few, but the damage was minimalized at least… Also, he was kind of hoping she'd get all this anger out of her system after a while. Though, he doesn't seem to be slowing down. His hands were pretty much tied right now. It's not like he can just hit a girl.

He was thrown to the ground with enough force to bury his body in the concrete. Tatsumaki, again, filled with unbridled rage, came screeching down, grabbing hold of him and dragging his body through the cement, pushing his face down. When their momentum slowed, she picked his body up and flung him through another building.

Flying up above it, she watched him tumble along the ground for a moment before charging back in. Before she made it, he seemed to have caught his footing, jumping up and away from her punch that shattered the ground beneath him. Immediately, she gave chase. On her way to him, they heard a roar of some kind. Their attention was grabbed by a rather large octopus like creature, bleeding from it's many eyes, Flashy Flash seeming to be the culprit as he assessed his damage. Whatever he did, it wasn't enough to stop the beast, evident by the gigantic tentacle raising up to obliterate the group of lesser A-Class heroes littering the adjacent seat.

Tatsumaki was planning on ignoring it before she saw the bald man suddenly charge it as soon as he hit the ground. It was far too fast for her to take that opening of his distraction. She was going for it anyways, but before she did, she saw one of it's tentacles preparing to slap the bald man aside, apparently having spotted him… Well, it's not like she's helping him. He'd be thrown into the ruble behind them and she might lose track. She casually knocked the tentacle aside, giving the bald man a clear shot at the main body. He took it with gusto, delivering a rather plain looking punch that seemed to ripple through the beast for a moment. Then… in an absolutely miraculous display of power, completely exploded it's top half, the tentacles ripping out of the ground from the force of the punch.

The A-Class heroes who originally planned on standing against the creature with sheer numbers stood in shock at the display. They watched the bald man in disbelief as he stood to his feet. "Hm. He looked like he'd be stronger…" His eyes turned towards the group when he finally noticed them. "o-Oh. Sorry. I thought you were civilians from further awa-.."

(BOOM!)

Just like that, the bald man in the gas station uniform was gone. The green streak of Tatsumaki's flight path the only indication as to what happened. Their stunned looks continued to gaze at the scene in amazement. It was like something out the movies.

From his perched position up on a building, Flashy Flash stared passively in the direction the two took off towards. "… Hmph…" He grunted before jumping away to find another beast.

* * *

"Yes. I understand." Genos said into his transponder. He, Bang, and Fubuki stood on a building, tracking the two power houses as they fought… essentially just trying to keep up. "We will mobilize immediately." He finished, hanging it up.

"What's going on?" Fubuki asked.

"It appears there is some kind of organized monster attack." Genos said. "There have been multiple sightings all around the various cities."

"Hm… I thought something was amiss." Bang said, eyeing the destruction that laid ahead, far ahead of Tatsumaki and Saitama's path.

Fubuki seemed confused. "w-… Well, what are we supposed to do? We can't get close enough to stop those two."

"I don't think there's a need." Bang said, thinking about what he's seen so far. They've been on their tail for miles now, only being able to keep up thanks to Fubuki's power. "The damage they've been dishing out, under any other circumstance, would cause for concern. However, they seem to be stopping a lot more carnage than they are creating… Besides, we don't have time to worry about those two if the information provided is true."

The three of them looked out at the chaos filled city with intense eyes.

"It's time we join the fight." Bang finished.

* * *

His clothes ripped and a trail of blood slipping down his chin, Garou looked to his opponent in excitement. This 'Metal Bat' kid wasn't too shabby. This uh… fighting spirit of his was truly something to behold. It's been so long since he's felt this rush. 'Heh… heh-heh-heh! Yes! YES! More! Show me MORE!' Just as they were about to collide, Metal Bat was sent tumbling to the ground.

"o-.. Oh. Sorry." Saitama uttered as he stood to his feet, only to see the kid he fell into was out cold. "Hey. Are you okay?"

Garou stared wide-eyed at the Bald man. "y-…" That was it… That was the fight to let him know for sure where he stood! That was HIS fight! This… idiotic bald man just took his fight from him… "I'll… I'll kill you!" He yelled, jumping at him with a twisted look on his face.

Saitama turned towards the voice to see some random guy ready to attack him. "… Hm?" With a stiff straight leg kick, he was sent into the building nearby. "Do I know you? … o-… Oh, yeah. I wa-.."

(BOOM!)

Tatsumaki's fist, again met nothing but the asphalt below. Her eyes locked onto the baldy who jumped away again. "STOP RUNNING!" she demanded as she flew after him.

Garou laid in that shop feeling as though he were just hit by a mac truck. "w-.. What the hell was-.. that…"

* * *

Saitama continued to take this beating from the angry looking green haired girl with little care. The best he could do right now is keep her away from the bunkers which he assumed many or.. all of the civilians were in. All the while, he was just hoping her rage would die out. If this went on for too long though, he may have to stop it. There were things he had to do. For one, contact his boss and request a new uniform, definitely. His current outfit was ripped to shreds and stained in the color of many of the monsters he's inadvertently defeated in this sparring match of theirs. 'Hurgh. What a day.' He thought as he took another power packed punch to his chest, sending him skidding along the ground behind him.

He tumbled for a bit before going with the momentum and flipping back up to his feet, looking across at the green haired girl. She was breathing rather heavily with her head held low, slowly floating towards him. 'Man. She sure does train hard… Hm? Is she slowing down?' He questioned.

He wasn't sure, but for the meantime, she wasn't attacking. This gave him a chance to deescalate the situation. "Are you done trying out your moves?" He asked plainly.

. . .

Visibly, Tatsumaki's breath caught in her throat. 'What… what the hell did he just say?'

"It was kind of fun for a while, but I think we should stop before you break more stuff. You're gonna owe the city quite a lot of money." He informed her. "… Uh… You're glowing again." He said, pointing at her.

"Why can't…" Her words came out lightly, sounding more like a whispering plea. "Why can't… I hurt you?"

. . .

Saitama's plain look stared across at her in confusion. "… Uh… I don't know. Your attacks just aren't that strong, I guess… But, this was just a sparring session, right? So, you probably weren't going all out."

Her glow grew brighter and brighter with every single word that left his mouth. It was humiliating.

"I'm sure if you work harder and.. uh.. keep at it, you'll get even stronger…" As he said that, he thought more about it, rubbing his chin. "Though… I don't think you should get stronger. If you do, then it just makes everything… kind of boring."

The wind kicked up in that hellish-way yet again, letting him know this wasn't over. 'Oh… guess I'll just have to pick something up for dinner tonight.' He thought as he saw her take off, shooting straight for him. 'Did I even bring my wallet with me? … Ah, I'm sure if I call Genos he can cover me for tonight. I can just pay him back next Friday when my check comes in.' She had her right arm cocked back, funneling so much power into it that Saitama couldn't even see her arm. It was just green flames wrapping around her fist. 'Oh wait… I got some overtime in too this week, which means I'll have enough for rent and enough to pay King back for that controller… … huh?'

(BOOM!)

A huge blast of energy was released when Tatsumaki drove her hit home, only… this time, it felt… different than the others. It felt a lot more powerful. A lot harder… there was… a lot more resistance? It was then she realized something was holding her hand. It was the bald man. 'n-… no way… no way, I put everything I had into that hit! … a-.. and he jus-… he caught it!' She grit her teeth, getting angrier and angrier. 'Is he finally planning on fighting back? He hasn't caught any of my other punches. What's he…' She stopped, stuck in a mental stupor when she saw the reasoning for this.

. . .

She looked down at his feet to see she had driven him back ten feet, his feet implanting and scraping through the cement below. Behind him… just another three feet behind him was a… a kid. He couldn't be much older than 12, wearing school uniform black pants, black shoes, and a hoodie over his head. A backpack on his back. Her power decreased little by little until she was just floating there. "w-… What the hell are you doing out here, you brat!?"

The kid looked shocked that he was being called out. "u-uh, s-sorry ma'am! I was jus-.. walking home from scho-.."

"There's a major monster alert! You're supposed to be in a bunker!" She interrupted.

"i-.. I'm sorry! I was in the library! I didn't know! I'll go now!" He said running across the street. "Sorryyy!" he called out again.

She huffed and turned her attention back to the bald man, waiting for him to say something about her being a bad hero. She didn't even notice that kid. Had he dodged, or… hell, even if she hit him, that kid would've been toast. She knew that. Doesn't mean she needs to hear it from this nobody.

"Whew." Saitama said plainly. "That was close… Well, see yah…" Just like that, he walked past her as if nothing ever happened.

She was left in shock for a moment before she spun around. "Hey! Where the hell are you going!?" She demanded.

Saitama stopped, turning back to her with a curious look. "Hm? I was gonna head home. I've gotta order a new uniform for work and all." He was about to turn back around before he thought of something else. "oh-.. -and, nice fight. You're strong…" With that, he turned around and began walking back.

Tatsumaki stared at his back as he left, the sight of that hero punching that 'planet collapsing blast' from the invasion overcame his form… and, she saw it… Now, more so than ever, she was sure of it. That was him. That was the hero who saved the world from possible destruction, twice… and no one knew it… A man living in a crappy apartment in City-Z, working a crappy cashier job in City-Y… and, unbelievably, he's the strongest man she knows… She was about to call out to him when her ears caught a roar in the distance in the other direction. She peaked over her shoulder then looked back to Saitama's retreating form. With a shake of her head in pure disbelief, she turned and flew to the sound of that roar… Even now that she believed it… she couldn't believe it.

* * *

 **AN: So, this is a… mess. LOL! It's a mess, but it's meant to be. Sheer chaos unfolding in a similar pace as in canon. Through the chaos and confusion of the Monster Associations attack, Tatsumaki finds the salvation they will soon need. Now, I'm sure you guys have noticed, but there are certain things that happen out of order. It's really for no reason other than this ark being somewhat unimportant, climax-wise. It's not the biggest even in this show, or even the set-up. Remember, there is another organization lurking in the shadows, waiting to make its move. Thanks for reading. Also, sorry about the (BOOM) use haha! It's just for emphasis.**

 **Question: What interests you about the Saitama/Tatsumaki pairing? For me, it's about finding comfort within someone who can understand you. As the two strongest heroes, who better to understand holding the weight of the world on your shoulders? Anyways, let me know how you feel.**


	10. Anyone Can

**What It Means**

 **AN: Welcome back! We continue as planned. This chapter is… quite a bit of set-up, but-!... it's a pretty fair chapter. Please, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

"Well, that did the trick, huh?" A seductive voice spilled out. A woman dressed in very revealing lingerie with a mask covering her mouth slowly walked towards the downed Fubuki who knelt before her entranced men. "And I believe you're one of those Esper sister's, yes? Your older sister is the Class S hero Terrible Tornado. Hmm.. Perhaps I could use you as bait. Maybe then, she'll come out and play! Heheh! She'd make a much better t-.."

A huge blast of energy was released, cutting her off before she could finish her threat.

'What the hell?' The woman thought as she landed on a street lamp. 'Even after all that lashing, her mind is still her own? Such strength of will. I hate girls like he-..' Again, a huge blast of energy caught her off guard when the telekinetic woman appeared right next to her faster than she could blink. She landed on her feet, but she definitely felt that. "That hurt, bitch!" She growled out, preparing her whip for another attack. She watched the blue glowing woman land lightly back on the ground. "I thought you'd be the bait to snag your little sister, but forget it! I'm killing you right now!" She lunged up, drawing her whip back for another lash, but before she made it, she found she was snagged on something…

Landing back on her feet, she looked for the source, following her whip. To her shock… "w-.. what the hell!? Why are YOU here!?"

The barely alive remains of one of her accomplices fell before her feet. "s-.. Super-S…" The creature groaned out. "t-t-.. they had a monster of their own… w-w… we were completely wiped out."

She looked back to the person who threw the body down in horror. There was no mistaking it. They were warned of this one. Slightly tattered, clearly indicating one hell of a fight, but regardless… "d-… d-d… Demon Cyborg!" She stammered out.

Genos held onto the end of her whip, eyeing her down with that ever present intense glare of his. "I have located another one. You will not escape."

Fubuki silently breathed a sigh of relief. She would've thought it'd be her sister coming to her rescue. Though, she was kind of glad it wasn't.

* * *

Bang stood with his hands behind his back, staring down at the passed out form before him. It was a kid he knew very well. It seems he was too late. They were warned of all of the major threats before hand, so he headed here first. One hell of a fight happened here, that's for sure. Taking this kid out was no easy task. He sighed, tiredly, also sporting a bit of disappointment. "Metal Bat…" He knelt down to wake him. 'Garou must be stopped…'

* * *

Suriyu hobbled down the road in search of the closest bunker, or anyone that could get him there. He survived that beatdown earlier because of some unknown hero. That didn't mean he was in the clear. He desperately needed medical attention. More than that, there was no better chance of escape. There was no guarantee there wouldn't be another one of those monsters lurking around there. He held his hurting ribs as he continued to limp down the side walk. He could see it. The bunker! It was just a block away!

(BOOM!)

A huge brownish-grey foot impacted the street right before him.

"Hergh! Hah!" He yelped out, turning around and ducking into a nearby alley.

The foot belonged to the first monster that completely annihilated him in that arena. Gouketsu. The four eyed monster stalked down the street, towering above the lower leveled buildings around him. He was right in the way of the bunker. Up by his shoulder was a bird-like monster. "So, the diversion was successful." He muttered out in his booming voice.

"That's right, Mr. Gouketsu." The bird creature replied. "There were also more than a few successful monster transformations. The creatures that emerged were quite powerful."

"Good. I am headed to collect one of my own. He's had enough time to play." They turned, right down the street that Suriyu was previously walking.

"You mean the four-armed ape creature?"

"Yes." Gouketsu replied.

"He was defeated." Gouketsu came to a screeching halt… directly adjacent to the alley the injured fighter ducked into. Just his luck.

"Defeated… by who?"

"It is believed to be that fighter who tried to take you on. The martial artist."

. . .

Suriyu held his mouth shut on the opposite side of the garbage dumpster he was hiding behind. He was trying not to breathe. 't-t-… t-they thought it was ME!?' he mentally exclaimed, shaking in fear. 'n-no! i-I can't let them find me!' he thought. Gaining just a bit of confidence, he opened his eyes and was immediately worried when his foot seemed to be sticking out just a bit. Could they see it? He didn't want to risk it. All he had to do was pull it back… ever… so… slightly…

(Bong)

His breath caught in his throat. He was so focused on his foot, he didn't notice how close his knee was to the dumpster… It wasn't loud, as slow as he was going… perhaps they didn't hear it.

. . .

Gouketsu and the bird creature both had their heads turned in the direction of the alley. They didn't say anything. Gouketsu just continued walking down the street, his booming footsteps seeming to fade.

Suriyu breathed a sigh of relief when he was sure they were gone. He slowly crawled forward, poking his head out… No sign of them. Just behind him, without him even noticing, the bird creature came swooping down. He felt it on the back of his neck and turned around, far too late to defend himself. "w-whoooooOOOAHH!"

The bird screeched loudly, digging it's talons into his shoulders, yanking him from the alley and just releasing him so that his body tumbled and rolled out into the middle of the street.

"I leave it to you, Mr. Gouketsu!"

"So, you're stronger than I thought." Gouketsu's booming voice called out, standing before him with his arms crossed.

Suriyu saw his death within those four eyes of his. There was no chance of escape here. He was too hurt to fight… this is what impending death is… "n-No! Please! i-i-I didn't kill Bakuzan! i-It wasn't me! i-I didn't kill him!"

"Is that so?" Gouketsu questioned. "Well, then who did? He was quite the formidable monster… would've been a great ally to our cause. Whoever took him out must be eliminated. So, if it wasn't you… then who was it?"

"I-don't-know!-I-don't-know! i-It was jus-.. this telephone pole that came out of nowhere! I swear! i-I'm not lying!" he stammered.

"Uhuh… well, I've got to tell you that's a little hard to believe… Not quite as hard as a weakling like you defeating him, but… Let's say I believe you… do you really think that'll be enough to save you?"

"HELP MEEEE!" Suriyu immediately yelled out, realizing his predicament, yet again. "PLEASE! HERO! i-I NEED A HEROOO! HEY! THERE'S A MONSTER OUT HEEERE! PLEEEASE!"

"Silence, you fool." Gouketsu demanded. "Our forces are attacking every inch of every city. This area is spread thin, purposely. Every hero that was here, I've already defeated… No one will save you now."

"Oh shoot." A voice called out, catching their attention. "… I _am_ lost…" Saitama stared at the street sign above his head, not recognizing the street. He looked to his right to see the source of that screaming he heard just a moment ago. Without caring to examine the situation, he noticed a human face and walked towards him, regardless of his bloodied form lying on the ground. "Oh. Hey, do you know any way to get back to City-Z?"

. . .

. . .

Suriyu stared up at the bald man with a perplexed look that bordered along the lines of salvation and further dread. "w-.. w-what?" he asked, his voice breaking up.

Saitama squat down in front of him. "City-Z. I was having a sparring match with a-.. a friend, and now, I'm kinda lost." He explained.

. . .

It seemed he finally noticed something was a little off here. "Hey… are you okay? You look pretty beat up."

"n-.. no. No, i- I… t-there's a m-.."

"You… Foolish man." Gouketsu called out to the newcomer, cutting Suriyu off. "… Are you a hero?"

Saitama looked up at him curiously. "Uh… I don't know. Not really, but… I've been considering rejoining. It's not like my new job is any more fun." He said, somewhat thinking aloud.

"I see." Gouketsu said. "Well, I suggest you consider passing up on that thought. Soon, us monsters will reign over the modern world. All others will either assimilate or cease to exist. It is the law of nature that the superior spe-.."

"Yeah, yeah. Save me the dramatics, would you?" Saitama said, cutting him off as he stood back up. "It's been a pretty boring day. I kinda just want to go home…"

Suriyu was slack-jawed, staring up at this deadman walking. They were for sure going to die, now.

If Gouketsu was irritated, he didn't show it. He simply continued to stand there with his hands folded over his chest. That silence was deafening. ". . . As I was saying." Gouketsu finally uttered, dismissing that rudeness as a farce. "It is the law of nature that the superior species dominate the weaker. It is the truth of this w-.."

"Look." Saitama said, staring at him plainly. "If we're gonna fight, can we just get to it already? I don't need to hear your motives or your reasons. You have the same speech as the last four monsters. All of that just to die in one hit…"

. . .

". . . Very well." Goketsu said as he watched Saitama step around the downed man and towards himself. "You have the bravery of a true fool. For that, I will allow you the first attack. Be warned. Should you choose to take it, you officially enter a battle with me. The only way it ends is with a death. Yours… or mine."

. . .

Saitama blinked once. ". . . Okay." He leapt up towards the monsters face. True to his word, Gouketsu didn't even flinch. He watched the lackluster looking punch approach with little care.

"… You fool-.."

(BOOM!)

In an unbelievable feet of strength, Gouketsu's head popped off like one of those cheap rockem-sockem robot games, only, there was no spring keeping it in place. It shot back, tumbling down the road behind him, his body falling limply down to its back.

Again, Suriyu found himself slack-jawed at the display, trying to utter a word, but none would come to him.

Saitama stood before the downed monster's body with that plain look of his. "… Huh. I _do_ know this street." He turned back to the man lying on the ground behind him. "Hey, do you need some help or something?"

. . .

His wide eyes stared at this bald man in wonder. This… this is a hero. A true hero. That beast almost killed him an hour ago, now his head is five blocks away from his body… 'He… he did it… he saved me… he-.. he saved my life…'

"Hm? You can talk, right?" The bald man questioned.

"y-…" he paused again, caught in the magnificent light of the setting sun, creating an epic background for his hero. It was like a movie poster, only… this is real. "… Yeah…"

"Oh… Good. Well, you should probably get to a bunker. I think they have doctors in there."

". . . okay. . ."

Saitama looked at him for a moment more before turning around. "Okay… see yah."

. . .

"Wait!" Suriyu shouted, stopping him.

Saitama turned around to see him struggling up to his feet. "Hm?"

Suriyu hunched over in pain when he tried to stand. His ribs were definitely broken at this point. With a groan of effort, he stood to his full height, eyeing his savior. "t-.. thank you!" He shouted, ignoring the pain in an impressive feat as he bowed to him at the waist. He wasn't sure which it was, the pain from this position, or the overwhelming relief of his life being saved, but tears started slipping from his tightly shut eyes. "Thank you for saving my life!" His voice broke a few times with raw emotion. "THANK YOU! . . ."

Saitama, again, looked at him with that plain expression, blinking a few times. "… No problem. You should be safe now... Bye."

Suriyu heard his feet walking away and looked up in a hurry. "w-Wait! Please!"

Again, Saitama stopped and turned back towards him, this time watching as he held his body, hobbling towards him. He got to a fair distance and stopped.

"Please…" he uttered, taking time to catch his breath from such a painful action. "I've gotta know…"

. . .

"c-…" he stopped himself, really thinking about whether or not he wanted to ask this. All of his life has been about taking it easy… but… seeing him, seeing a REAL hero in action, for some reason, sparked a different feeling. "… Can I become a hero as well?"

. . .

The wind picked up suddenly, making the scene that much more emotional as Suriyu watched his… well, not hair, but his clothes rustle and dance in the breeze. He felt it… there was something inspirational about to be spoken. This truly is like the movies… only…

"I don't know." Saitama said plainly. As if mother nature herself was disappointed by that lackluster response, the wind died out, leaving behind that silence.

"w-…" Suriyu wanted to ask what he meant, but, he couldn't get it out.

"I guess so." Saitama continued. "I mean-.. if I can… I guess anyone can, really." Then, just like that, the wind returned as Saitama turned around and continued walking, leaving the dumbfounded martial artist there staring after him. "Just… do your best."

He could hear music in those words of his. They weren't necessarily words of surety, but it was enough to light that fire. In that very moment, he decided. 'I _will_ … I _will_ do my best… and I will become a hero!'

"Wait, one more thing!" he shouted. This time, Saitama didn't turn around, but he did stop. He just peaked over his should slightly to show he was listening. "Please… make me your disciple!"

. . .

Saitama continued walking. ". . . Absolutely not."

* * *

Tatsumaki floated above the five dead carcasses of the last of the vermin she was able to find. Her phone was up to her ear, the Hero Association HQ was giving their update.

([That was the last of the threats, Ms. Tornado. The rest of the high level monsters have already retreated]) The voice of a female worker said.

"Tch. Pathetic. If we're done here, I've got better things to do." She said, about to hang up.

([a-Actually, there is a bit of a smaller matter happening right now, if you're interested.])

She rolled her head back. "Urgh! What is it?"

([The uh.. the 'Hero Hunter' has been tracked down by a group of A class heroes and is currently engaged with them. They are not fairing well. Bang, Bomb, and Demon Cyborg are already on their way there.])

"What a waste of time! I don't care about some low-life hero hunter! Let Bang handle that! I'm going offline!" She shouted, hanging up and flying away. As she flew, she flexed her right hand a bit. It was a little sprained from her fight with the baldy. She still… STILL couldn't believe it… A weak looking bastard like that? It seemed like some kind of joke to her. Though, that fight of theirs… that fight of hers… apparently, to him it was a spar… Regardless, that bout showed her. She put her all into that. Hell, she was so blinded by rage, she didn't even realize they were back in the city until she killed that first monster. The Tornado of Terror, fighting at one hundred percent… and she couldn't put a dent in that plain looking face of his… 'It's definitely him…' She took off at top speed.

* * *

"… What the hell!?" Saitama called out in shock as he stood before his apartment building… that was now in complete ruins… a chunk of that meteor he broke in that spar laying smack dab where his room was. "t-t-… that's a lot of damage! How long is THAT gonna take to fix!? How much is it gonna cost? Oh man, I'm gonna have to get a second job. No, a THIRD job! And even then, could this be fixed!?"

King stood next to him, now wearing his freshly cleaned work clothes, staring at the destruction. "I don't even know where that thing came from." He said. "It just fell right outta the sky. Luckily, I had just stepped out, about to get a bunker… I didn't make it. There were like three monsters that showed up out of nowhere, so I just hid in one of the other buildings."

"o-Hoh! Well, great for you!" Saitama said, comically as he dropped to his knees with his hands on his head. "I can't even break my lease. There's a whole nother charge on top of paying the bill for the damages! I'm ruined!"

King looked at him curiously. He had never seen such emotion in Saitama before. It seemed when it came to finances, that was his greatest weakness. "Well… I'm sure your landlord will wave the damages fee due to the circumstances of the attack, right?"

"No… The lease agreement says that damage fees are not covered without proper insurance." He said, his shoulders slumping.

"You don't have insurance?" King questioned. Saitama shook his head. King verbally winced. "Oooh… yeah… this isn't too good… Well, uh… I'd let you stay with me, but uh, my landlady lives right next door and does random checks every so often. If I'm caught housing another person, I'd get evicted for sure. That'd look bad on my credit score."

Saitama sighed. "Don't worry about it… I'm sure I can find somewhere cheap."

"Baldy…" That familiar female voice called out from behind them.

King was the first to turn around and jumped at the sight of the green glowing woman floating in the air. "Ah! s-Saitama, she's back!" He said urgently as he hopped behind his only line of defense.

"Hm?" Saitama turned around and saw her. "Oh. Hey… what are you doing here?"

Tatsumaki ignored his question initially, her eyes traveling over him and to his house. She had come to be the bigger person and right her wrong of breaking his wall, but… it seemed that was no longer the big issue. "What happened to your apartment?" She asked.

Saitama was back to his plain looking self. "Oh. Uh, a piece of that meteor I destroyed while we were sparring landed here. Just unlucky, I suppose."

She squinted her eyes curiously at him. That was… technically, in a way, her fault as well. But, as long as he didn't see it that way, she wouldn't speak on it.

Saitama seemed to disregard her again, thinking on his predicament. "Hurgh. Well, does your building have any openings?" he asked King.

The bigger man, who was still eyeing the green monster behind him, responded nervously. "i-I don't know. I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I got the one open room."

"Crap… well, do you think you could loan me some money for a motel room until I get paid next week?"

"s-.. sure. Uh.." He dug in his pockets, looking for his wallet. "How much are motel rooms?"

"Rejoin the Hero Association…"

. . .

Saitama and King stared up at the Esper, the latter looking between these two power houses.

"Hm? Why?" Saitama asked.

She furrowed her brow in irritation. "Because. You're strong."

. . .

Saitama stared at her blankly for a while, not responding.

"We need stronger heroes. You should rejoin…"

". . . Uh, I don't know. I was thinking about it, but. . . I think I'm still too strong." He said.

"Too strong?" She asked. "Too strong!? What the hell does that mean!?"

Saitama was confused by this anger of hers. "Uh.. I don't know… I'm just too strong. The fights aren't fun anymore."

She was about to blow her top, but held her anger in for the moment. "The monsters are getting stronger… we need stronger heroes."

". . . well… you're pretty strong." Saitama said. "You defeated a lot of monsters while we were sparring."

"So did you!" She yelled, pointing at him.

King stood behind Saitama looking between the two curiously as they had a back and forth about the monsters caught in the crossfire of their battle. More importantly, he watched and saw a difference in the small girl before them. He was, shamefully, in the hero associations S-Class for quite some time. He went to many of the meetings, but… never has he seen her this flustered… so flustered, in fact, that if he squinted a bit, he could've sworn he saw… a… blush?

"I'm still not sure." Saitama said. "I don't think I have the time for that right now. I'm gonna have to get a second job just to cover the damages here… plus, I've gotta find a new apartment."

"Heh.." Tatsumaki chuckled, surprising him. "They pay for your housing and you get free insurance you idiot!" She yelled, shocking him.

Saitama stared at her curiously before he turned back to King. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." He said. "Yeah, it's just for the S-Class heroes, though."

"Oh." Saitama muttered in disappointment. "Well, that sucks…"

"I can get you into S-Class." Tatsumaki said.

". . . Really?" Saitama asked again. "How?"

"I'm the top hero in the association. A recommendation for me and you're in. If you claim your kills for the Sea-King and that alien freak, then you'll definitely get in."

". . ." Saitama seemed to be pondering it. ". . . Hm. . . I don't know. . ."

Tatsumaki remained there with her arms folded over her chest and a slightly irritated scowl on her face. 'What the hell is there to consider? This should be a no brainer! I mean, it solves all this idiots problems!'

King stood back there, his eyes focused on his former comrade, truly trying to understand this look of hers. It was something he's never seen. Not even when faced with monsters. She's usually arrogant and uninterested. Right here she seems so… desperate? 'Hm… for some reason, this… reminds me of a scene from the first Heartbeat Hottie Sisters… Is this some kind of budding love story or something? … With Tatsumaki… and Saitama…'

. . .

"heh-… heh-heh-…" King couldn't help but chuckle a bit, drawing two sets of eyes to him. He wasn't laughing because of its ridiculousness. It was definitely odd considering the two drastically different personalities, but… 'It would be the most amazing couple to ever exist!' he thought with an unreasonably excited knot in his stomach. 'In most of the romantic gameplay storylines I've played, it's usually a stronger character pitying someone weaker who they later find out is quite unique and interesting, but… this is like something new! Everyone would love it! And… I could take notes… I could take notes and write and submit the greatest romantic story of all time to the developers of the Heartbeat Hotties franchise!'

"What the hell are _you_ laughing at!?" Tatsumaki demanded, drawing him out of his own thoughts.

Startled by her voice, King sputtered with his words. "i-Uh! n-Nothing! n-.. i-I'm sorry! Uh, Saitama. y-You should definitely rejoin." He said, turning to him. "I mean, it's… it's your best option. The insurance will cover the cost of your house being destroyed, and you'll get a new place to live."

Saitama rubbed his chin in thought of those words. "… Mm… I still don't know."

King saw that Tatsumaki's anger was rising, so he thought quickly on that last bit that would push him over the edge and accept. In his time as an S-Class hero, what were the biggest perks? Free housing, free insurance, an unbelievably fair monthly paycheck, and… "Oh, and there's also a 25% discount at most grocery stores…"

. . .

* * *

"This is the guy?" Atomic Samurai asked. His question directed at Tatsumaki who brought this to their attention. The entirety of the remaining S-Class members were in attendance for this meeting aside from Genos. Saitama was in a separate room, playfully leaning back in his chair wearing his hero costume: boots, gloves, and all, digging in his ear with his pinky. He was displayed on the monitor above, Genos sitting next to him, apparently keeping him company.

"Is this a joke?" Metal Bat snickered.

"No!" Tatsumaki said, shouting towards him defensively. "Yeah, he looks like a big dumb baldy… but he's strong… He's _really_ strong." She said, her voice softening as she thought of her effortless defeat.

"Heh, he doesn't look like much to me." Metal Bat continued, not caring for the daring eyes of their number 1.

"I must say, I agree." Puri-Puri Prisoner said from his seat, putting his hand on his chest dramatically. "I've seen men of deceptive strength before, but for him to receive such praise from someone like dear Tatsumaki… I just don't see it."

Not getting the hint from her previous two looks, Metal Bat just pestered on. "h-Yeah, I mean, what's his power? Super bald reflectiveness?"

(Woosh!)

He was flung from his seat into the wall behind him, screaming obscenities at the person he knew was responsible.

The other's continued on as if they didn't even notice. "I mean, the uniform does match that of the hero from the invasion." Child Emperor analyzed. "Maybe this really is the guy."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Atomic Samurai quipped up. "Everyone was watching that broadcast. Someone could've just copied the design. This could just be another King situation where some nobody is trying to catch an easy ride through the ranks for the perks."

"It's not. He's legit." Tatsumaki said yet again. "I've seen him in action myself."

"Yeah, but you were out of it for most of that." Atomic Samurai pointed out, thinking she meant the whole invasion incident. "There's no telling who you actually saw up there."

"I too can vouch for the legitimacy of this man." Bang said, standing to his feet. "Saitama-boy has a strength that is unexplored. A strength beyond anything I've ever seen."

"Yeah, I don't think we're going strictly on hearsay." Flashy Flash quipped in. "This guy doesn't seem all that efficient. He looks far too unrefined for the rank of Class-S."

"Unrefined?" Tatsumaki asked. "There a guy in a dog costume sitting next to you, and a fat greasy slob drooling on himself across the table!" Tatsumaki again defended.

"You say this is the guy who defeated the Sea-King?" Zombieman spoke up, entering the conversation. Tatsumaki nodded. "Well, then. I'm interested. What's his power?"

". . . I… We've been telling you since we've been in here!" She yelled. "He's strong…"

. . .

"Ah, I see. You meant actual strength." Zombie man muttered. "Well, if that's the case, I'd also side against it. We don't need anymore brutes. We've already got Prisoner, Super Alloy Dark Man, Tank Top, and… well, I don't know if I'd consider Bat for that."

"Heh, I could crack your head open with one swing then wait to do it again you undead jackass." Metal Bat replied.

Zombieman: "Oh, I'm sure. You still wouldn't win the fight."

Metal Bat: "You want to bet on that?"

Zombieman: "You'd wear out long before me, kid."

Metal Bat: Yeah, I doubt that. You've got a foot in the grave already you son-of-a-.."

(WOOSH!)

Both of them were flung back into the walls behind them. "Shut up! No one's here for that!" Tatsumaki shouted. She looked back to the screen. "Okay… I know how… dumb it sounds, but… this is the real number 1 hero." That kicked up a bit of an uproar from some of the more vocal members, including Child Emperor.

"Whoa-whoa. That seems a little much Tatsumaki. I mean… bringing him into the S-Class at all is pretty far-fetched, but making this guy number 1?" The little genius asked.

She was about to buckle down before she was cut off. "Not possible." It was Sweet Mask, strutting in for no apparent reason.

"h-Hey! What the hell are you doing in here A-Class!?" She yelled

He ignored her and continued walking towards the head of the table. "This man cannot possibly be the number 1 hero. I was against bringing some nobody loser into the higher ups at all, but.. I saw the footage. I recognize strength when I see it. For that reason alone, I've allowed this, but the ranking system is based on more than strength alone. It's popularity. No one knows who this ridiculous man is. There'd be worry from many, including the sponsors, that this man is nothing more than the next King. The next imposter…"

"Well, he's not!" Tatsumaki yelled out in anger. "When they hear that I'm the one who brought him in, they'd know that!"

"h-Yeah." Sweet Mask chuckled out. "You'd want that to be the case, wouldn't you?" She squinted her eyes, confused and… slightly worried by his accusing tone. "Don't think this little blatant infatuation with this man has gone unnoticed. You're supposed to be the new number 1. Yet, here you are, fawning over some nobody like a damsel in distress because his outfit matches the man that saved you. You should be the most suspicious of this."

Tatsumaki gasped in shock, her crazed looking eyes barreling into him. 'w-… what'd he jus-…' Her gaze couldn't have been filled with more hatred than it had right now. She was so furious, the words he spoke after were lost on her. She just watched as he continued pacing the room as if he owned the place. Knowing who he is and knowing his influence with fans was the only thing keeping her from ripping his head off. But…

"That's why I propose he be placed at the bottom of the barrel of the S-Class rank…" Sweet Mask said, finishing his rant still uninterested in Tatsumaki's seething aura. "I mean, you've all earned your spots. It just wouldn't be fair for this no name loser to pop up and rank higher than you. Personally, I don't think he should be in the top tier regardless, but… The organization has left the decision up to you, it's trusted apex members…" There was a mocking hint to his tone that didn't sit well for most of them. "So, I urge you to choose wisely…" With that, he left, leaving the heroes to their decision.

It was debated for a few minutes with, pretty much, only Tatsumaki and Bang advocating for a higher rank. Tatsumaki didn't say it directly anymore, but she wanted him at rank 1. It was only right, but considering no one actually saw Saitama's feats first hand like she did, she knew it probably wasn't gonna happen. Also, as much as she hated to admit it, that Sweet Mask freak was right. There is more to the ranking than just strength. The more popular a hero, the more fans, the more donations to their name. The more donations meant the more notoriety, thus ranking you higher. Even when they do explain that he is the hero who defeated the Sea-King and the alien leader, Boros, there will be just as many skeptics as believers. Many low-life internet trolls who will stop at nothing to prove some kind of ridiculous conspiracy theory. Regardless of where he was ranked, getting him in at all was the most pressing matter… Genos was called back to the meeting, it was time to vote…"

* * *

"Rank 16…" Saitama muttered, reading the paper in his hand as he, Genos, and Sekingar walked to the exit of the facility.

"That is right." Sekingar said. "Your rank has much to do with your strength, which – if going off of Tornado's recommendation is valid – is second to none. But, it also has much to do with popularity." He explained. If Saitama was listening, he didn't really show it, looking around as they walked. "As you defeat monsters and handle yourself in public, your fanbase will grow. If the higher ups of the organization see you are superior to the hero, or heroes, ahead of you, they will move you up accordingly."

"When do I get the insurance?" Saitama questioned, completely ignoring that explanation.

"… Uh… you'll have it by the end of the week."

"Okay. That covers the damage of all of my residences, right?" he questioned further.

"Uh, yes sir." Sekingar said.

"Okay…"

"Uh, there is also a transponder that is going to be issued to you within the next two days. Once you receive it, we ask that you fully read and progra-.."

"How about the grocery discount? Does that kick in immediately? Or do I need like a card orr…"

Sekingar was off put. It seemed he was more interested in the perks than the job. That was a red flag in his opinion. 'If this is another King situation, we'll be in much rougher waters with the sponsors…' He eyed him out the side of his eye for a moment before answering his question. "It's a card. You'll get it with the welcome pack. Now, as I was saying. The transpon-.."

"Oh, is that stuff going to my apartment? It's kinda… collapsed right now… oh, wait, I was also told that we get free housing?"

'God… what the hell were we thinking?' he thought. They made it to the front exit, Sekingar stopping as he reached the end of his escort. "Uh… yeah. Yeah, you do, sir. There's a car that'll take you there out front. The free housing unit for the S-Class heroes has been relocated to the Condor Hotel within City-B. It gives the association quick access for when we need to fly you out to an emergency alert."

"Oh… okay. So… do I start today? Or after I get that welcome pack or whatever… and when do we get paid?" he asked. "… Oh, and is there some sort of 401K plan orrr.."

"l-Look." Sekingar said, stopping him. "I've got some other business to attend to. Everything you need to know will be in your welcome pack. Also… as I understand it, Demon Cyborg here is your uh-.. disciple, so… he can answer any questions you might have."

"Oh… okay." Saitama said as he watched him walk away.

"Oh, and uh… Saitama." Sekingar said, calling out over his shoulder. "… You'll be watched closely for your performance. Don't think we'll be as foolish as we were before. Impersonating a hero is now a crime, punishable by jail time… keep that in mind."

. . .

". . . Hm? What does that mean?" Saitama questioned.

"Your car has arrived, Master Saitama." Genos said, pointing out the sleek looking black car that pulled up.

"… Okay." They stepped out, headed for the vehicle, Saitama reflecting on the sudden shift his life has taken. 'Whelp.. guess I'm a hero again. It may be boring, but… at least I'm not homeless anymore… and I've got insurance… I sure am gonna miss City-Z though…'

* * *

 **AN: Okay, so I was really trying to think of a way to postpone Saitama joining the association a bit longer, but any way I tried to do it, it just seemed so… unSaitama-ish. He wouldn't pass on an easy job with more benefits for an easy job with less benefits that won't get him what he needs, so, it only makes sense for him to accept the offer. Still, the journey to being a true hero is beset with struggles of all kinds. Doubt, unreliability, and lack of motive are all obstacles. It's how you overcome these struggles that make you what you are.**

 **Question: What brought about your love for Anime? Not to mistake it for an earlier question of mine of what was your first anime, but… what about watching that first show of yours made you think "Man! I've gotta find another series!"**

 **For me, it was a mix between a more sophisticated, chronological story, and a more fluid animation style than American cartoons of the time. There are American cartoons nowadays that are starting to follow a plot, but back when I was younger, it was more so 'adventure of the day' type of deal. Pretty repetitive after a while. Still love those, but anime just hits some different notes to me. Anyways, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	11. Maybe

**What It Means**

 **AN: Hello. Thank you for your patience. For those of you who don't know, I'm trying to become an actual author. I'm working on my own novel right now as well as balancing work and school. So, that is why the update is a bit slow this time around. I'm trying to keep up with consistent updates, but it's a bit tough for me at the moment. So, please, bear with me here. Enjoy the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Punch Man or any of the characters associated with the title. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

* * *

"Ergh! That _fucking_ asshole!" Tatsumaki shouted as she floated back and forth in the HQ of her sister's little organization. Fubuki sat behind her desk watching her curiously. "Ohoh! You should've seen him walk in there with his stupid high and mighty act, dictating the meeting like he's the fucking president or something! I should've crushed that little A-Class head of his! I mean, who the hell does he think he is barging in on an S-Class meeting like that!?"

"Uh.. just to be clear, we're still talking about Sweet Mask, right?" Fubuki questioned.

"Yes, Fubuki!" Tatsumaki exclaimed, shooting her an irritated look. "I'm so sick of that slimy bastard slithering into business he's got no reason being in!" She continued floating back and forth.

"Well, he does have a lot of pull from the sponsors due to his public image." Fubuki reasoned. "I mean, you've gotta admit the situation seems awfully similar to the circumstances of King's infiltration into the S-Class. Perhaps the sponsors sent him."

"Fuck the sponsors!" She shouted in irritation. "Those greedy bastards don't give a rats ass about what we do! They just care about the stupid merch we bring in!"

"They also fund the organization as a whole." She remarked, shrinking back when those daring green eyes darted towards her again. "i-.. I'm just saying."

Tatsumaki sighed and shook her head. "Well, I don't care! They think they know everything, but they don't!" She exclaimed, continuing her levitated pacing. ". . . Rank 16 . . ." She muttered lowly. Fubuki didn't quite catch it. She was about to ask her what she said, but she reiterated it loudly enough. "Rank six-fucking-teen!"

"That's what they gave him?" Fubuki asked.

Tatsumaki slowed her pacing at the surprising in her sister's voice. "h-yeah! Can you believe that!? Even knowing he was the one to defeat the Sea King and that Alien freak and they give him the lowest rank in the S-Class division!"

Fubuki furrowed her brow a bit at that information. "Uh… did you, by chance, tell them about the fight between you two?" She questioned.

Tatsumaki stopped, her back to her younger sister. "n-.. No! Why would I do that!? They don't need to know about that!" She demanded.

"o-Okay." Fubuki said in a worried tone, trying to keep her calm… well, calm-er. "i-I was just thinking that that would've probably changed a lot of their minds… I mean, knowing that not even _you_ could hurt him surely would've placed hi-.."

"Who said I couldn't hurt him!? Huh!? I wasn't even going all out! I held back like a ton! It's not like I was actually trying to kill him or anything! It was just a sparing match! That's all!" She quickly interjected.

"a-Ah! o-Of course! I didn't mean you couldn't hurt him, I just meant that h-he hung in there with you! Heh! Of course, you could've won that if you wanted to!" Fubuki quickly replied, trying to cover her mistake. She didn't need her tearing the roof off of their headquarters. '… a spar through 11 different cities?'

Tatsumaki huffed in irritation and turned away from her. "Hmph! It's not their business what happened that day! I'm the number 1 hero! They should just take my word for it!"

Now… Fubuki could honestly say she was getting rather confused. "… Uh… I'm sorry, but… do you still want _him_ to be the number 1 hero orrr… I thought that's what all this was about."

"It is! … he's stronger than me… so, he deserves to be the number 1 hero…" She muttered out with her lips pursed in a childish pout.

Fubuki found this rather strange as well. Tatsumaki speaking of someone other than Blast in a way that wasn't degrading or demeaning? Showing a humbled side to her? Strange. She always thought this impossible. Though, there was something weird here. Why would she be so offended by her comment earlier if she was willing to admit he was stronger? ... Perhaps it was the thought of being so far behind him that struck a chord. She knows he's stronger, but to believe that he is so far beyond her that she can't even harm him… yeah, that's not something she'd ever be willing to admit.

"Okay…" Fubuki muttered. "… ssssoooo what're you gonna do?"

". . . Nothing, I guess." She said. "I mean… he's strong, right? So… so, he'll defeat monsters. He'll defeat a lot of them! And this time, people will see it! He'll rise through the ranks faster than anyone ever has! I mean, he's leagues above those other losers! He'll probably be top five by the end of the week! And number 1 soon after that!"

"Uh… wow, that sure is a lot of faith." Fubuki stated.

Tatsumaki scoffed at her. "Tch, it's not faith. It's just the truth." She floated towards the window with that confident smirk on her face. "He's got some kind of… idiot strength. I don't understand it myself, but… it's amazing."

Fubuki is absolutely incredibly awestricken right now. '… is this… really my older sister?' she had to question. This whole situation felt like a hallucination. Tatsumaki's never been able to praise anyone other than Blast. Though, that was partially due to him saving their lives all those years ago. It was a moment that inspired her sister far beyond anything. It's why she's come so far in her psychic powers. He was number 1 for a reason when he was alive, sure. But… Fubuki always felt that there was a point in time where Tatsumaki was even stronger than him. She wouldn't admit that, of course, but it was something she herself just had a sneaking suspicion about.

Point is, there was not a soul alive she respected enough to be placed anywhere near Blast in Tatsumaki's mind. Yet, here she is, helping – no – actively fighting for a man she just met be given the number 1 spot. Its mind blowing. '… Why?' Fubuki questioned as she traced her older sister's face, oblivious to the words funneling out of her mouth. 'What is it that entices you so much about Saitama?'

It couldn't possibly be his strength. She's a strong hero herself. Though, taking that loss to him was surely humbling for her, she's usually the type to throw out an excuse for why she lost rather than accept it. Something about Saitama seems to have broken through that… Whatever it is, it has to be something shared between him and Blast in Tatsumaki's mind. There was the obvious factor of both of them saving her life, but… for some reason, Fubuki couldn't see that being the main reason. There are surely all these little factors that add to the case, but there is one big reason that she's missing…

Mentally, she had to take a few steps back and build the base of this theory she's concocting. 'So… Blast… what did she like about Blast?' There were so many things that came to mind from that statement. She was definitely hit with at least a bit of hero-worship, which is somewhat expected given how young they were. She admired his power, that was a given. She liked his philosophy of not being reliant on other's being there to save you – something Tatsumaki constantly reminded her of. She… worshipped him… no… maybe that wasn't the right phraseology… She…

'loved… him…'

Her mouth slowly parted in a shocked realization. It seemed like a longshot, even thinking it in her head, but… Tatsumaki has always valued strength. Despite her view on relying on people, she's always felt a type of relief with the reassurance of Blast. Fubuki was able to deduce that much from their years of being around each other. Though they are in different classes and hang around drastically different circles, the down time is spent with each other. It's always been that way. If she remembered her sister saying anything – absolutely anything – it was that, no matter what idiot monster came crashing down, they'd always win, because… 'Because we have Blast. If they can barely beat me, there's no way they'd ever be able to take him on.'

With the revelation of his death and nearly dying herself… perhaps… perhaps she's feeling lonely…

Vulnerable…

Helpless…

Saitama is just like Blast in a lot of ways. Unrivaled power, casual take to the Hero business… but, more importantly – something she just recently noticed with them being in conversation – he doesn't shy away from her. There were others who don't. A lot of the more vulgar or… bullheaded members of the S and A class didn't either, but those were more out of arrogance. With Saitama, he's so powerful that she's, in some way, just like everybody else. He's not afraid of her, he doesn't worship her, in fact he doesn't even seem to acknowledge her all that much… In a way that not even Blast could, perhaps, he makes her feel a little more normal… and maybe… just maybe… she likes that… 'Maybe… she likes him…'

For some reason, that thought alone sent a flutter through her heart. A pang of pride even. When they were in that facility all those years ago, when they weren't being trained, they were given things for their down time to keep them 'happy'. One thing they were given was a book. It was just a cheesy little book about a princess wanting love or something, but for two little girls trapped in their own tower of sorts, it was beautiful. Sometimes she herself would just dream of some beautiful boy coming to save her in her time of need. They've become so synonymous with power that… many people forget that they are still women. They are still people who crave things just like everyone else.

Fubuki was the only one to really remember that fact. She remembered that only for herself it seemed. Tatsumaki got so strong, it just seemed to her like she didn't care for things like that. Though, thinking back to when she comforted her over the news of Blast… your heart doesn't break like that if there's nothing to lose. Tatsumaki took to that saying of Blast's so thoroughly, it just felt like she had somehow transcended such petty things. But… maybe…

That's all this was. A maybe. A maybe that sent her heart aflutter with the thought of it being true. Despite her usually harsh words towards her, Fubuki knew deep in her heart that Tatsumaki just wants the best for her, and vice versa. Her older sister has done so much good in this life that… she deserves love too. She deserves happiness just like everyone else. Why not with someone like Saitama? Sure, he's not a prime candidate. He's dull, he's… not very emotional, oblivious to literally everything, bald, but… in some strange, unbelievable way, all those traits somehow made him perfect for a woman like her sister… other than that last one. His dullness makes him view even Tatsumaki as just anyone else, his lack of emotion means Tatsumaki's random spurts of anger (which are inevitable) won't affect him, and his obliviousness is… well, that could be a problem.

She's been so engrossed on her sister's possible feelings, but what about Saitama's? Does he _have_ any feelings? She's only met him once, very briefly, but it didn't seem like he cared very much about anything… other than groceries apparently (she was told the whole story by her sister). It wouldn't mean much of anything for Tatsumaki to have a crush on a guy who couldn't care less… Maybe… maybe he just needs a reason to care for something… Maybe if he hung around her enough, he'd come to like her. She's not the most tolerable person, and they don't, at face-value, seem that compatible, but… hey, opposites attract, right?

. . .

Maybe… it'd be a longshot, but… mayb-..

"FUBUKI!?" Tatsumaki yelled, staring at her.

"What!? w-Wha-.. huh?" She fumbled out in shock, blinking her daze away.

"You weren't even listening!? Did you not hear anything I said, you idiot!?" She screamed, kicking off a string of reprimands that her younger sister sighed at.

'Sheesh, maybe I should just not intervene.' She thought in irritation.

* * *

([Dark HQ of unknown organization])

The man in the suit at the head of the table sat there in his seat with his hands still folded over his mouth and most of his form still concealed in the shadows. The only other person in the room with him was the woman of their group, her legs laid casually on the table.

"So, are you gonna tell me the new plan at least?" Her slithery voice funneled out.

For a moment, he did not respond. ". . . What makes you think things have changed?"

"Heheheh." She chuckled out. "You've been quieter since that troubling news… Blast was important, I take it? You've been searching for alternatives for some time now…"

There was a slight chuckle from the man, but nothing more. He tapped his fingers on the back of his knuckles a few times. "… Clever girl. But, no. That's not the issue. It actually makes things easier…"

"Oh? How so?" She questioned

"Now, it's little more than a scavenger hunt to get the last few things I need. We'll let this little 'Monster Organization' try their hand before we make our move. Let them fail while we finish preparations… Everything is right on track."

"Mhmm… So… what IS the issue?" She questioned. There was a slight turn of the man's head which she could see in the darkness. "… You said, 'that's not the issue', implying that there is in fact something troubling you… what is it?"

He turned back, seeming to contemplate that himself. "… As of now, it doesn't concern you. That's all you need to know. Return to your marks." She chuckled out her sinister laugh as she complied. The man just sat there… further mulling over his plans.

* * *

"HA-a-a-a-a-argh! Man, it's too early for this crap." Metal Bat yawned out as he leaned back in his seat in the HQ meeting room, his legs propped up on the table. About half of the heroes already in attendance, the other half just funneling in.

Atomic Samurai, sitting next to him, couldn't agree more. "Yeah, you said it, kid. I thought we were gonna be gettin' a bit of a break after that last meeting. Didn't think they were planning on retaliating this soon."

"Well, with the kidnap of the president's son, it's only expected." Zombieman quipped up from across the table.

"Tch, if that damn centipede hadn't shown it's ugly mug, it would've been a cake walk keepin' that brat safe." Metal Bat replied.

"Didn't you get knocked out by that Hero Hunter guy?" Child Emperor asked, catching the tail end of the conversation as he took a seat next to Pig God.

"No! Who said that!?" Metal Bat demanded. "I was gonna crush that guy! Then, something hit me outta nowhere!"

"Uhuh, well. Whatever the case, it's actually a good thing that centipede freak showed up." The kid said, typing on his keyboard. "It left some pretty obvious entry points into their base of operations."

"Great." Tanktop Master spoke up. "Then, we'll take the fight straight to them and get him back."

"Sounds like a trap to me." Atomic Samurai said.

"Most likely." Child Emperor said. "But, it's the best option we've got. Better to fight them on their turf than ours. Minimize damage and what-not."

"They wouldn't foolishly provoke us unless they were sure they had some heavy hitters in the ranks." Tanktop Master deduced. "It's gonna be one hell-of-a fight."

"Nothin' we can't handle if they're sending all of us." Metal Bat said confidently. "Besides, if things go south, we could always just put it in the hands of Tornado and her new boyfriend. Heh-haha." He chuckled out.

"I wouldn't speak so loudly." Child Emperor warned. "She wasn't far behind me when I was walking in."

Metal Bat simply scoffed. "Tch, I don't get it. He didn't seem like much to me… I mean, what do you think?" He asked, throwing the question out there for anyone.

Zombieman was the one to respond. "I was apprehensive myself." He began. "But, having the backing of Tornado and Bang has to be noteworthy."

"Pfft, I think the old man's senile. The guy just looks like he's got no fighting spirit."

Tanktop was the next to respond. "I'll side with Zombieman on the matter. We all witnessed the strength of the underling in that invasion. If this guy took down its leader, it's possible there is some truth to his power."

"Uh, yeah." Child Emperor interjected. "And I think you're forgetting about the Sea-King. She says he took that thing down to. To do that with a pebble?"

"Come ooon." Metal Bat spoke up again. "You really believe that? I mean, we all just blindly believed King was the one who to defeat those Dragon levels in one hit. Look what happened there. It's sketchy. That's all I'm saying."

Atomic Samurai nodded. "Hmph. I'm split on this one. On one hand, if he's a fraud, it'll look bad on the organization. On the other, if he's legit, then he's a worthy comrade. This coming battle will decide as much."

As he finished his opinion on the matter, Tatsumaki came flying through the door, giving them all uninterested looks before flying to her seat at the front of the table. The others, seeing the meeting was about to start made their way to their respective seats Not too long after, Bang, Genos, and the new comer entered.

"Wow." Saitama said plainly. "So, this is the meeting room? … That's a big table."

"Indeed, Master Saitama." Genos said. "We have assigned seats. You must sit at your assigned rank."

Saitama nodded, about to walk off before he turned back. "o-Oh… what was my rank again?" He whispered to him.

"16, master."

"Oh… okay."

Saitama walked towards the end of the table, not looking to anyone, oblivious to the curious (skeptical in some cases) eyes on him. He looked down at the table going number to number before he finally found his spot. He sat down in his seat before finally looking around at the various eyes on him.

"… Oh uh-.. hi." He said simply, putting most of them off. Metal Bat was the only one to scoff at him and look away. The others simply lost interest. 'Whoa. This kinda reminds me of school.' He thought plainly.

"Hello." The booming voice of Tanktop Master next to him caught his ear. "I am Tanktop Master, rank 14." He greeted.

"Oh. Hey. Saitama." He said, shaking his hand. The big man nodded at him.

"It is a pleasure to greet you Saitama. I hope we will work well." He said professionally.

Saitama was looking around. "Uh, yeah. Sure. Hey, can we like-.. order stuff to eat or like a cup of coffee?"

Tanktop Master was taken back by that a bit. "u-.. Uh…" Before he could respond fully, the door was opened again, Sitch and Sekingar funneling in to begin the meeting.

"S-Class heroes. Welcome, and thank you for meeting with us today." Sitch began. "As you should know by now, there is a pressing matter at hand. This Monster Organization has attacked multiple cities and has taken a very influential child. His safe return is the top priority." He went on, explaining their plan of action.

Mostly everyone was paying attention with a keen eye… Others however, were a bit distracted by the continuous sound of an adjusting chair, their eyes traveling back, staring at the oblivious Saitama. He lifted up, raising the chair a bit before lowering it a few times… then a few more… then, just a smidge more, this time a bit too much it seemed as he reset and tried again.

The notable people distracted by the annoyance were Tatsumaki, Metal Bat, Sekingar, Zombieman, and Tanktop Master which was likely due to him sitting right next to him. Eventually, more and more heads turned his way prompting a halt in Sitch's explanation when he noticed the lack of eyes on him.

"If we are to enter through Elder Centipedes last retreating point, it'll force their hand and direct more damage away from-.. What's so-.." He followed their eyes to the oblivious bald man still trying to get the right position. "… Saitama." He called out.

"… Hm?" He responded from down the table.

"Is there an issue with your seat?" He questioned.

Saitama noticed all the eyes on him but didn't care in the slightest. "With my seat?" He asked stupidly. "No. Why? Did I sit in something?"

Tatsumaki was the one to answer. "No, _stupid_! You keep adjusting it!" She yelled.

"o-Oh." Saitama muttered, raising it back up all the way. "Sorry…"

Slowly, their eyes returned to Sitch who was staring at the man in confusion. "r… right… Well, as I was saying. If we enter through th-.."

(fshhh… fshh...)

With that last sound of air releasing, Saitama finally seemed comfortable enough to leave it alone. Again, the eyes that deviated turned back to Sitch who just picked up where he left off. "..-through the escape tunnel of Elder Centipedes final retreat, we will be able to minimize the damage to the major cities. As this happens, we will have the cities pile into the bunkers for protection. Though we are taking the fight to them, we cannot be certain it will not be pushed back out to our turf."

"What of the other heroes? Are they to play contain?" Atomic Samurai asked, thinking of his underlings.

As Sitch answered this, Saitama leaned over and got Tanktop Master's attention. "Uh, hey."

"Hm?" The big man whispered back.

"Who do I talk to about the grocery card? They said it would be in my welcome bag, but it wasn't." He explained.

"Ah. I assume you speak with Sekingar or Sitch. Or perhaps the receptionist could help you with such a matter." He explained, keeping his voice low as to not disturb the meeting.

"Oh. Okay… The receptionist in the lobby?" He asked just to be clear.

The big man nodded. "Yes. I had a similar issue when receiving my welcome bag. She is very kind and will assist you in acquiring forgotten items."

Saitama nodded. "Okay. And what if I lose it? Could I perhaps get a rep-.."

"Saitama, Tanktop Master, is there something you'd like to share with the rest of us?" Sitch questioned, noticing them having their own conversation.

"Oh. No sir." Tanktop Master said. "Saitama was simply inquiring more about the organization."

Sitch sighed in irritation. "Very well. Please, save it for after the debriefing. The information being provided is important."

"Yes sir" "Okay" they chided out in unison, returning their attention to him.

Metal Bat chuckled in disbelief, turning back to Sitch. He shook his head thinking, 'There's no way this idiots legit.'

Tatsumaki saw that look of his and sighed herself. She then turned her eyes back to Saitama, all but tuning the words of Sitch out as he continued. Just looking at him made her irritated for some reason. He looks so… idiotic! Like a child who can't pay attention to anything for more than a few seconds. Like, now! He's jus-.. staring off into space, digging in his ear! Does he not understand the situation they're in!? The situation he's in? Sitch and Sekingar are probably thinking the same thing. This guys an absolute idiot.

If she stood back and saw things objectively, she had to admit, it was fishy. I mean… look at the guy! He's not exactly the ideal S-Class hero. And that's saying something when they're literally sitting here with a human garbage disposal slobbering on himself, a kid, and a guy in a dog costume. Even with how diverse they are, he somehow still stands out.

She shook her head in irritation. He'd be at the bottom of the table forever if he keeps acting like some ridiculous idiot… Well, she had to remember that strength of his. Yeah… yeah, once they get to the fighting monsters part, he'd jump up no problem… Yeah.

"Hm?" She grew a bit of panic when his eyes suddenly shot towards her as if she had called out to him.

"Tatsumaki?" Sitch said expectantly, the other's looking at her as well.

"w-What!?" She demanded.

Sitch was taken back by that sudden anger. "u-Uh. I apologize. I didn't realize you were lost in thought." He said. "Flashy Flash says you were in City-Y yesterday, defeating monsters. We were wondering if you had some information on tougher opponents."

"No! I don't know! Why are you asking me!? Isn't that your job!?" She yelled out angrily. It was like an automatic self-defense method, thinking she was caught staring at Saitama.

"r-Right." Sitch responded. "Anyways, there is the matter of having to face Elder Centipede without the help of Blast which is a task in itself. We're not certain there isn't something stronger, but it'd be tough to imagine. We must remain vigilant. Now, please prepare in whatever way necessary and meet at the location marked on your responders in two hours. Thank you."

* * *

"Urgh." Saitama muttered out as he and Genos stepped out of the building. "Do they have those meetings all the time?"

"No, Master. I believe it is just for important instances." His disciple replied. "Also, I overheard your conversation with Tanktop Master and have retrieved your grocery card."

"Oh. Thanks." Saitama said, taking the card from his hand. "Well, I can't really use it until I get paid, but… it's good to have it."

"Master, I must apologize for letting this perk go to waste." Genos said. "I too have this discount and could have been buying groceries for you this whole time."

Saitama waved him off. "Nah. That's nice and all, but I think a guy should buy his own groceries."

Genos pulled something from his back pocket. "I see." Saitama peaked over to see him writing that down in a notepad as if it were some kind of infinite wisdom. "That is an honorable act."

Saitama looked away. 'Geez, you don't have to write down everything I say.' He mentally grumbled.

Genos stashed it away and they continued walking. "So, it seems we have some time to prepare." He stated. "What do you plan to do in this time?"

Saitama's visage shifted suddenly into an intense look. "I've got… some business to take care of…"

Genos was shocked by the sudden shift in demeanor. 'Uh-! Master Saitama… is he in some kind of trouble? … I shall accompany him for back-up. Even though I do not think he will need it.' That's what he thought, but at the back of his mind, he wondered what kind of beast could pull this serious side out of him. It had to be something really bad…

* * *

"So… Mr. Saitama." An elderly man sitting on the opposite side of the table said. He was a rather skinny guy wearing a tropical shirt and shorts. There was a stack of papers set down in front of him. "You were staying in theeee Sunlit Apartment complex, correct?" His voice was creaky and weak sounding, a testament to his age.

"Yes." Saitama nodded.

The guy nodded and put his glasses on the tip of his nose, reading down onto the first page. "Okay, and it says here that . . . the building was destroyed by a meteor, right?"

Saitama: "Uhuh."

Old Man: "Okay…"

Genos and Saitama watched plainly as he continued to read through the first page, disturbingly moistening his mouth, leaving them with a gross sound filling the silence. Genos understood the complexity of the situation. 'This is Master Saitama's previous landlord, Mr. Sorata. He must be here to assess the damage fee.'

"o-Okay, Mr. Saitama…" Mr. Sorata began, still reading, now flipping to the next page. "Please allow me to read through the damage report and inform you of the amount due."

"Huh?" Saitama voiced. "I thought you said you already read it?"

"h-what?" The old man questioned, for whatever reason throwing emphasis on his 'H'.

Saitama blinked a few times. "On the phone, you said you read it…"

Mr. Sorata shook his head. "n-no. No, I didn't say that…" Saitama was going to refute that, but decided against it. It'd be best to just let him get it over with. "Okay… it says here that the building was destroyed by a meteor.. right?"

'He already asked me that…' Saitama would be frustrated if he cared enough about the inconvenience, but after today, he'd probably never have to deal with the old guy again. "Yeah."

Mr. Sorata nodded and went back to reading.

. . .

. . .

. . .

"Hey, do you know how long this is gonna take?" Saitama asked him. The old man didn't look up from his reading until he placed his finger on the spot he was on.

"Huh?" He questioned.

"How long is it gonna take?" Saitama reiterated. "Because, I've kinda got something to do in about…"

"-45 minutes." Genos finished for him as he looked to him for a time check.

The old man's bug-eyed look was disturbing him a bit by the low angle of his chin. "o-Oh. Not long at all. I just have to read through this damage report…" They both looked at the stack of papers in front of him with not much reaction. "Oh-.. but, don't worry. I'm a pretty fast reader." He said, going back to the pages. "Oh-.. dang-it. I lost my spot."

They watched his finger trail back up to the very first sentence and begin again, slowly dragging along, word for word. "… Master, Saitama." Genos leaned over and whispered to him. "At the speed he is going and considering he must read every page, he will not finish in time for us to make it to the rendezvous point."

Saitama blinked a few times. "… Yeah, you're right. You should go on ahead and tell them I'll be late. I'll just have to wait until he's finished."

"Huh?" The old man asked, looking up at them.

"o-Oh. Nothing." Saitama said, waving him off. "I was talking to Genos…"

"Oh… okie-dokie then… ah, dang it…" He started over again.

* * *

One by one the heroes started showing up at the huge hole left by Elder Centipedes retreat. Tatsumaki was one of the first one's there, simply floating above it and waiting for everyone else. More importantly, for Saitama. His idiocies in the meeting room reflected bad on her. She could tell by the skeptical looks she's been receiving from a few of the other heroes and, aggravatingly, Sitch and Sekingar. If he didn't come on his A game, ON TIME, then it'd just make things worse.

That aside, she had to say she was getting sort of excited for once. Ever since getting that idiot in, all people have been doing is looking at her as if she's lost her mind. All they had to do is see him in action. That was one reason, but the other was for the creature that made this hole in the first place. The monster responsible for Blast's death… Yeah, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't excited to tear that thing to shreds. It's all a matter of time at this point…

She looked on at possibly the only thing that could ruin that excitement of hers… Demon Cyborg walking up with Bang in toe… no Saitama… She's realized by now that that hunk of metal is Saitama's lap dog. He wouldn't have shown up without him unless…

([Alright, heroes.]) The voice of Sitch said over their communication devices. ([It is time we begin our assault. Child Emperor has detected a split about a quarter mile through. A team will take the right and B team will take the left. Please, remain vigilant and retrieve the target.])

Wordlessly, they started jumping down, one by one, but Tatsumaki lingered a bit, hoping Demon Cyborg would call a halt to their departure. He didn't. He jumped down as well. '… Son-of-a-… WHERE IS HE!?'

* * *

"… Okay…" Mr. Sorata said, flipping the page. "… Page 5…" Saitama just continued to stare at him plainly.

* * *

 **AN: Well now. As you can see, the next chapter is gonna be another action packed one, so be ready. Again, please be patient with me, guys. I've got a lot on my plate right now, but I promise you I'm getting these out as fast as possible. Thank you.**


	12. Sorry

* * *

Hi. First off, I am terribly sorry to all those who've enjoyed my stories thus far. Unfortunately, I will no longer be continuing with my fanfiction career. I have had a few opportunities open up for me recently and I have to focus my attention soley on my novel.

* * *

That being said, I am placing this story up for adoption. _What it Means_ has been a very fun story to write. I love OPM and the character of Saitama. I hate to leave, specifically for this story. I had a great plan for it's conclusion with bits and pieces already in place, but I've really got to focus on making this writing business a career. It's not fair keeping you loyal readers on the edge of your seats for undetermined intervals at a time. I am truly sorry. I hope whomever I decide to pass it to will do it justice. Thank you for reading.

PM me if you'd like it.


	13. Adopted!

* * *

And the story continues! What it means has officially been adopted by a user named "magister.kekko" a fairly new author with a fresh set of fingers!

I want to thank you all for following me in this journey of the beginning. I've learned a lot from the reviews I've received (both supportive and flames). I didn't know how good this story was going to do, but from the set up alone I was met with a staggering amount of support. For that, I truly love you all!

As a long time fanfiction reader (long before I started writing any) I can understand that disappointment/worry of a favorite story of mine changing writers. It's always a hit or miss. The author I chose does not have alot of apparent experience upon first glance at his written stories, but everyone deserves a chance. You've started this journey with me, now I urge you to finish it with magister.kekko. Guide him as you've guided me.

As the story has now been adopted, I will be taking it down in a few weeks or so, after magister has caught up to where I left off.

And once more, thank you for all you've done.

* * *

https//u/6584614/magister-kekko


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